The Path Unwinding:Part 2  Winchester Legacy
by AllyWH
Summary: This is the sequel to The Path Unwinding following Dean, Sam, Abbie and Beth as they try to defeat Lucifer. Don't own any of the characters but Abbie and Beth. Please read and review!
1. Chapter 1

1

"Chuck?" Abbie asked, coming downstairs, after hearing nothing for a while, "Chuck? Where's Dean and Cas?" She noticed Chuck had blood on him, the bottom half of the house was wrecked. "Chuck? Talk to me." She put a hand on his shoulder, making him jump.

"Abbie, you're ok. Beth?" Chuck asked, nervously.

"She's sleeping." Abbie told him, "Chuck, whose blood is that? Please, God, don't let it be Dean."

"Dean got away, it's Cas's blood."

"Got away? Where is he? What happened to Cas?"

"One question at a time, I'm still processing all this."

"Where's Dean?" Abbie asked.

"Cas sent him to Sam. Cas is dead."

"Did he stop him?" Abbie didn't know if she wanted to hear the answer, "Did he stop Sam releasing Lucifer?"

"You need to sit down, Abbie." Chuck led her over to the sofa. He grabbed the remote control and switched on the TV, showing her all of the disasters taking place around the world.

"He didn't stop him, it's the end?" She looked up at Chuck, "Did they survive? Did you see anything?"

"I, uh, I-"

"Spit it out, Chuck, is my husband coming back here or not?"

"He's on his way here." Chuck told her, "Him and Sam."

"Sam? They're ok?"

"Physically yeah, although it did get a bit hairy with Sam, I mean, a heart rate of 200 isn't good."

"Ruby?"

"Dead."

"Lucifer killed her?"

"No, Dean and Sam actually. Together." Chuck smiled at her, maybe the brothers would be ok.

"How'd they get out?"

"I dunno." Chuck admitted, "They were just there and then on a plane."

"Plane? Dean on a plane?" Abbie was shocked, she knew how much he hated flying, "I guess it beats being dead...just."

"So, uh, they're on their way, should be here by morning. You should go and get some sleep, they're ok. You'll see him tomorrow."

(Early hours of the morning)

Abbie heard a noise downstairs and came out of the bedroom, seeing it was 3 am, she assumed it wouldn't be Dean and Sam, surely Dean would have called her, have her open the door instead of breaking in. She grabbed the nearest thing, a toilet plunger and swung for one of the intruders.

"Geez! Ow!"

It was a voice she recognised, "Sam?" She turned on the light. "Oh my God, Sam!"

"And uh, Dean. The one you're married to." He smiled at her, "Hey you." He wrapped her in a hug.

"Chuck!" Abbie yelled, and a few moments later he appeared at the top of the stairs, a very awake Beth in his arms, who's been woken by the noises downstairs.

"Hey Chuck." Dean greeted him, as he walked into the living room, Dean took Beth. "Told you I'd see you soon." He whispered to her.

"You're ok?" Chuck looked at both of them amazed.

"Well my head hurts." Sam told him, holding where Abbie had hit him.

"Sorry." Abbie looked down.

"It's ok. You hit like a girl." Sam offered a small smile, while Dean chatted to Beth.

"No-I mean-my last vision." Chuck stuttered. "You were like full on Vader."

"You're heart rate was 200." Abbie supplied.

"You're temperature was 150, your eyes went black." Chuck told him.

"Your eyes went black?" Dean asked, was Sam still keeping secrets?

"I didn't know." Sam told him, quietly.

"Where's Cas?"

"He's dead. Or gone. The archangel smote the crap out of him. I'm sorry." Chuck sighed.

"You're sure? I mean, maybe he just vanished into the light or something." Dean was hopeful Cas was still alive, somewhere.

"No, he like exploded."

"Exploded?" Dean repeated, "Abbie?"

"I didn't see it, I stayed upstairs with Beth."

"You've got a- uh-" Sam pointed a Chuck's face, still littered with what they assumed was the remains of their angel friend.

"Oh, right." Chuck reached into his hair, "Oh, oh god. Is that a molar?"

"Ummmm..." Sam didn't know how to answer.

"This has been a really stressful day." Chuck told them, "Angels exploding, apocalypse."

"Cas you stupid bastard." Dean sighed.

"Stupid? He was trying to help us." Sam told him.

"Exactly."

"So, what now?" Abbie asked, "Lucifer's out and..."

"Oh crap." Chuck began to panic.

"Crap's an understatement." Abbie huffed.

"No, no. I can feel them." Chuck explained.

"Feel who?" Dean didn't know what he was talking about. "Abbie, maybe you should take Beth back up." Dean suggested, ready to hand Beth over.

"I'll take her up." Sam offered, "Feel like I've not seen her for ages." He held his arms out to her, Dean held back for a second, still unsure of his brother.

"Thanks Sam." Abbie smiled awkwardly at him.

"Uh yeah, thanks." Dean finally handed her over.

"Look, Dean. If you'd much rather do it-" Sam started, "I don't mind, I just-"

"It's fine, Sam." Abbie told him, "So, Chuck, who's coming?"

"Angels." Chuck answered, nervously.

"Well, I know how to handle them." Dean replied, pulling up his jacket sleeve and pulling out a knife.

"Dean, what are you doing?" Abbie exclaimed, as Sam walked back downstairs.

"Thought we'd find you here." Zachariah had appeared in the room with them, along with two angels they didn't recognise. "Playtime's over, Dean. Time to come with us."

"You just keep your distance, asshat." Dean growled at Zachariah.

"You're upset." Zachariah told him.

"Upset?" Abbie yelled, "Upset?"

"You sons of bitches jump-started judgment day!"

"Maybe we let it happen. We didn't start anything." Zachariah clarified. "Right, Sammy?" Zachariah winked at him, "You had a chance to stop your brother, and you couldn't. So let's not quibble over who started what. Let's just say it was all our faults and move on. 'Cause like it or not, it's Apocalypse Now. And we're back on the same team again."

"Same team?" Abbie snorted, "Is that so?"

"Dean wants to kill the devil. We want him to kill the devil. It's...synergy."

"And I'm just supposed to trust you?" Dean raised his eyebrows at that thought. "Cram it with walnuts, ugly."

"This isn't a game, son." Zachariah warned, "Lucifer is powerful in ways that defy description. We need to strike now, hard and fast-before he finds his vessel."

"His vessel? Lucifer needs a meat suit?" Sam asked.

"He is an angel. Them's the rules. And when he touches down, we're talking Four Horsemen, red oceans, fiery skies - the greatest hits. You can stop him, Dean, but you need our help."

"You listen to me, you two-faced douche. After what you did, I don't want jack squat from you!" Dean turned his back on Zachariah, enraging him.

"You listen to me, boy! You think you can rebel against us? As Lucifer did?" Zachariah looked at Dean's arm. "You're bleeding."

"Oh, yeah—a little insurance policy in case you dicks showed up." He slapped his hand on the angel banishing sigil he had drawn.

"No!" Zachariah screamed, disappearing, with the other two angels.

"Learned that from my friend Cas, you son of a bitch." Dean whispered.

"This sucks ass." Chuck sighed.

"You're telling me." Abbie nodded, "Good thinking with the sigil, Dean."

"So, what now?" Sam asked Dean.

"We call Bobby, see if he has any ideas on what to do to kill Lucifer. We should get away from here, now Zachariah knows where we are."

"I'll go pack mines and Beth's stuff." Abbie walked back upstairs.

"I'll help." Dean followed her.

Sam watched his brother and Abbie walk away from him, "They'll get over it." Chuck assured him.

"Get over me letting Lucifer out? Did you seen Dean's face when I offered to take Beth? He doesn't trust me."

"You chose a demon over him, Sam." Chuck reminded him.

"I know, Chuck." Sam whispered.

"K, let's get a move on before Zach comes back." Abbie walked back downstairs laden with Beth and bags. "Look alive, Sam." Abbie laughed, nodding to the closed front door.

"Oh-oh sure." Sam stuttered, "See you later, Chuck." Sam called to him.

"Can you get Beth strapped in?" Abbie handed her to Sam, having heard what he said to Chuck, knowing how much he was beating himself up over everything.

"Course I can." He took her, trying to suppress a grin as he walked out.

Abbie walked over to Chuck, and gave him a quick hug, "Thanks for everything, Chuck. I'm sure we'll be in touch."

"No problem." Chuck smiled, "You guys take care, ok?"

"We will." Dean answered for her, "Sam?"

"Strapping Beth in." Abbie told him, then noting Dean's nostrils flare at the thought of Sam taking care of Beth, "Last time I checked, that wasn't a seal, Dean. Give him a breakm huh?"

"Sure." Dean mumbled, "Anything happens, you call us Chuck, ok?"

"Yeah, absolutely." Chuck told him.

"C'mon Abs. Let's get going." Dean headed out to the car, cellphone in hand ready to call Bobby.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey guys, welcome to chapter two of this sequel fic, just wanted to say thanks so much for all the reviews and favorite story alerts. They mean so much! If you leave a review, I promise to try and reply to you personally.**

**Alz**

2

(At the motel)

"K, Bobby's gonna meet us here in the morning, we just hang tight until he gets here." Dean told Abbie and Sam as he walked back into the motel room.

"I'm gonna grab some fresh air." Sam couldn't handle any more of the tense atmosphere. "You guys want anything brought in?"

"No, we're good. Thanks." Abbie answered, sitting on one of the beds. Dean ignored Sam.

"Dean?" Sam frowned at him, Dean looked up, "Anything?"

"Uh no." Dean went back to cleaning his gun.

"K." Sam walked out.

(A few hours later)

"Think Sam's had enough fresh air?" Abbie asked Dean, walking over to the window, and looking out. "Thought he'd have been back by now. Maybe one of us should look for him. He's beating himself up about this pretty bad."

"Sam's a grown man, Abbie."

"But still, he just started the apocalypse, maybe he's not doing so great, Dean. I mean, a couple of days ago, he was going cold turkey and you thought he might been about to die." Abbie reasoned, "Keep an eye on Beth, I'm gonna go looking for him." She grabbed her jacket, and headed towards the door, just as it opened and Sam walked in.

"Hey, going out?" Sam frowned at her.

"Was gonna look for you." She answered.

"I can go out alone, you know?" Sam told her with a sigh.

"I was worried about you, you were gone for ages." She defended herself, "I know you can go out alone, Sam." She smiled at him.

"Thanks." He smiled back, patting her shoulder, glad at least one person in the room still trusted him. Sam pulled something out of his jacket and threw it to Dean, "Here. Hex bags. No way the angels will find us with those. Demons, either, for that matter."

"Where'd you get it?" Dean asked examining it.

"I made it." Sam explained.

"How?" Dean looked up at Sam.

"I...I learned it from Ruby."

"Speaking of. How you doing? Are you jonesing for another hit of bitch blood or what?" Abbie asked, sitting down across from Dean.

"I-it's weird. Uh, tell you the truth, I'm fine. No shakes, no fever. It's like whoever...put me on that plane cleaned me right up."

"Supernatural methadone." Dean commented.

"Yeah, I guess. Dean-" Sam started.

"It's okay. You don't have to say anything." Dean told him, focussing again on the hex bag.

"Well, that's good. Because what can I even say? "I'm sorry"? "I screwed up"? Doesn't really do it justice, you know? Look, there's nothing I can do or say that will ever make this right-"

"So why do you keep bringing it up?" Dean exclaimed, startling both Abbie and Sam, Dean calmed slightly and looked up at Sam, "Look, all I'm saying is, why do we have to put this under a microscope? We made a mess. We clean it up. That's it." Sam and Abbie both nodded in agreement, "All right, so, say this is just any other hunt. You know? What do we do first?"

"We'd, uh, figure out where the thing is." Abbie supplied, "Research."

"All right. So we just got to find...the devil." Dean sighed, heavily.

(Next morning)

Dean was lying on top of the bed, watching tv while Abbie played with Beth, encouraging her to try and walk towards her by using the bed for support, every attempt so far had ended with a fall back onto her diapered behind and more giggles. Sam, meanwhile was reading through John's journal looking desperately for a clue for what to do. All of a sudden there was a knock at the door. Dean grabbed his gun, while Abbie picked up Beth and hid in the corner of the room, behind Dean. Sam opened the door.

A young, very excited blonde stood there, just staring at Sam. "You okay, lady?" Sam frowned at her, she looked like she had ants in her pants.

"Sam...is it really you?" She asked, shocked. She walked toward him and out a hand on Sam's chest, "And you're so firm."

"Uh, do I know you?" Sam asked, truly bewildered.

"No. But I know you. You're Sam Winchester. And you're-" She looked back at Dean, Beth and Abbie, "-not what I pictured. I'm Becky." She pushed by Sam, breezing into the room. "I read all about you guys. And I've even written a few-" She giggled, "Anyway, Mr. Edlund told me where you were."

Dean stood up, "Chuck?"

"He's got a message, but he's being watched. Angels. Nice change-up to the mythology, by the way. The demon stuff was getting kind of old." She continued to ramble.

"Right. Just, um...what's the message?" Sam was impatient.

"He had a vision. "The Michael sword is on earth. The angels lost it.""

"The Michael sword?" Dean questioned, was this what could kill Lucifer?

"Becky, does he know where it is?"

"In a castle, on a hill made of forty-two dogs." Becky told them, dramatically.

"Forty-two dogs?" Abbie repeated, "Are...you sure you got that right?"

"It doesn't make sense, but that's what he said." She moved closer to Sam, "I memorized every word." She reached out and touched Sam's chest, "For you."

Sam glanced over at Dean and Abbie, glaring at Abbie trying not to laugh, "Um, Becky, c—uh, can you...quit touching me?"

"No." She answered.

"Cool, we can double date." Abbie managed to choke out through laughs.

"Man, it'll be so awesome." Dean agreed, intent on teasing Sam.

"O...K." Sam moved away from Becky, "So, uh, thanks for that." She didn't take the hint, "You can go now..." She still didn't move.

"Umm, Becky, thanks for telling us." Abbie walked towards her, "We can handle this." Abbie nodded towards the door.

"Maybe I could help!" Becky was way too enthusiastic, and freaking the others out.

"Ummm, no. Dangerous, you know?" Abbie told her, "But thank you, very much. I'm sure Sam appreciates you coming all the way out here to let us know...don't you, Sam?"

"Yeah, sure."

"Huggably thankful." Abbie prompted, receiving yet another glare from Sam.

"Thanks." Sam gave Becky a quick hug and pulled away, "Bye Becky."

"Goodbye Sam Winchester." Becky reluctantly left the room.

"I'd say she's a Samgirl." Abbie laughed, remembering the stories they had browsed online.

"As long as you're a Deangirl, Sam can have all the crazies he wants." Dean commented, just as the door was knocked. "Can't take a hint, can she?" Dean opened the door, it was Bobby. "Hey Bobby." Dean hugged him.

"Good to see you kids all in one piece." Bobby told them, as Abbie walked towards him, hugging him, Sam followed suit. "Especially you, Bug." Bobby smiled taking Beth.

"You weren't followed, were you?" Dean asked, closing the door over.

"You mean by angels, demons, or Sam's new superfan?" Bobby laughed, sitting down with Beth, Sam had to laugh, Becky was pretty amusing.

"You heard."

"I heard, Romeo. So...sword of Michael, huh?" Bobby asked.

"You think we're talking about the actual sword from the actual archangel?" Dean was curious.

"You better friggin' hope so." Bobby sighed, opening a book and pointing out various pictures of Michael. "That's Michael. Toughest SOB they got."

"You kidding me? Tough? That guy looks like Cate Blanchett." Dean mocked, shaking his head.

"Well, I wouldn't want to meet him in a dark alley, believe me. He commands the heavenly host. During the last big dust-up upstairs, he's the one who booted Lucifer's ass to the basement. Did it with that sword." Abbie joined in, remembering stories from school.

"So if we can find it..." Dean started.

"We can kick the devil's ass all over again." Sam grinned, feeling hopeful, "All right. So, where do we start?"

"Divvy up and start reading—try and make sense of Chuck's nonsense." Bobby told them, nodding to the various books. Sam didn't move, even though Abbie and Dean had both picked up a book each, "Kid? You all right?"

"No, actually. Bobby, this is all my fault. I'm sorry." Sam admitted.

"Sam..." Dean sighed, he'd had enough of guilty Sam for one day.

"Lilith did not break the final seal. Lilith was the final seal." Sam explained, as Bobby just stared in disbelief.

"Sam, stop it." Abbie told him.

"No, Abbie. I killed her, and I set Lucifer free."

"You what?" Bobby frowned, standing up, handing Beth to Dean.

"You guys warned me about Ruby, the demon blood, but I didn't listen. I brought this on."

Bobby walked over to Sam, "You're damn right you didn't listen. You were reckless and selfish and arrogant."

"Bobby..." Abbie stood up, standing beside both men.

"I'm sorry." Sam told him, regret obvious.

Bobby walked even closer to Sam, "Oh, yeah? You're sorry you started Armageddon? This kind of thing don't get forgiven, boy. If, by some miracle, we pull this off...I want you to lose my number. You understand me?"

"Bobby?" Abbie asked, shocked. Sam merely nodded, understanding Bobby's upset, "Dean?" Abbie looked at him, expecting him to stand up for his brother.

"There's an old church nearby. Maybe I'll go read some of the lore books there." Sam walked towards the door, Abbie shook her head.

"Yeah. You do that." Bobby told him.

"Wait up, Sam. I'll come too." Abbie followed him, they both left. Dean didn't say a word.

(A while later)

Dean and Bobby were still leafing through books, while Beth napped in her crib. "You're ok with Abbie helping Sam out?" Bobby asked Dean.

"It was either that or have her lecturing me about Sam's feelings all afternoon." Dean sighed, walking over to check on Beth, then going back to the table when he seen she was still asleep.

"I never would have guessed that your daddy was right." Dean looked up at Bobby, a frown on his face, "About your brother." Bobby clarified, "What John said—you save Sam or kill him. Maybe..."

"Maybe what?" Dean didn't like where this conversation was going.

"Maybe we shouldn't have tried so hard to save him."

"Bobby-" Dean started.

"He ended the world, Dean. And you and I weren't strong enough to stop him proper. That's on us. I'm just saying, your dad was right."

"Dad." Dean mumbled, then smiled, remembering something, he grabbed his bag and pulled out some business cards, "It's got to be in here somewhere."

"What the hell are you talking about?"

"Here." He selected a card and handed it to Bobby, "I don't believe it. It's a card for my dad's lockup in upstate New York. Read it."

""Castle Storage. 42 Rover Hill."" Bobby read out then handed the card back to Dean.

"Castle on a hill of forty-two dogs." Dean explained.

"So you think your dad had the Michael sword all this time?" At times there was no knowing what John Winchester had managed to get hold of.

"I don't know. I'm not sure what else Chuck could have meant."

"Yeah. Okay. It's good enough for me." Bobby nodded, throwing himself at Dean, and knocking him into the side of Beth's crib, waking her. Dean stood up, only to find himself thrown at another wall. He was confused for a second, at Bobby's strength until he seen Bobby's eyes turn black, and seen him stand over Beth's crib.

"Now, Bug, you're gonna stay nice and quiet for Grandpa Bobby, or else." Bobby warned the wailing child.


	3. Chapter 3

3

"Get away from her!" Dean snarled, as the door opened and a man and woman entered.

"Oh?" The female spoke to Dean, "You're giving us orders?"

"Just leave her alone." He warned the demons, prepared to die to save Beth.

"I always knew you were a big, dumb, slow, dim pain in the ass, Dean. But I never dreamed you were so V.I.P." She picked Ruby's demon killing knife up from the table, "I mean, you're gonna ice the devil? You? If I'd have known that, I'd have ripped your pretty, pretty face off ages ago."

"Ruby." Dean guessed.

"Try again. Go back further."

"Meg?" He asked.

"Hi. These are the days of miracle and wonder, Dean. Our father's among us. You know we're all dreaming again for the first time since we were human? It's heaven on earth. Or hell. We really owe your brother a fruit basket." She told him, "But you, on the other hand, you're the only bump in the road. So every demon - every single one - is just dying for a piece of you."

"Get in line." Dean smirked, keeping the focus away from Beth.

"Oh, I'm in the front of the line, baby. Let's ride." She grabbed him, "You know, your surrogate daddy's still awake screaming in there. And I want him to know how it feels slicing the life out of you." She handed the knife to the possessed Bobby, who raised it to Dean's throat.

"Bobby!" Dean yelled, hoping the real Bobby could hear him.

"Now!" Meg ordered him, before moving towards the crib.

"Bobby! No!" Dean begged, as Bobby stabbed himself. With the demon inside him dead, Bobby collapsed to the ground.

Outside, Sam looked up at the room, hearing noises, "Wait down here, Abbie." Sam told her.

"But-"

"Something's happening, please, just wait here."

"Beth-"

"Abbie, I'll keep her safe, ok? Just wait here." He ran upstairs, "No!" Sam ran in the room and seen Meg over Beth's crib, reaching in for her, Bobby bleeding on the floor and Dean being beaten by the male demon.

"Heya, Sammy. You miss me? 'Cause I sure missed you." Meg turned to face him, picking Beth up.

"Meg?" Sam asked, "Put her down." Beth was reaching towards him.

Meg just grinned, Sam ran at them, grabbing Beth. Meg kicked him in the crotch, knocking him and Beth to the ground. "It's not so easy without those super-special demon powers, huh, Sammy?"

Dean, meanwhile, managed to knock his attacker to the ground, got the knife from Bobby's stomach, and used it to stab the male demon. He headed towards Meg who was still kicking Sam while he did his best to protect Beth. Meg screamed and abandoned her host. "Holy hell." Dean commented, while Sam stood up and handed Beth to him.

"She's ok." Sam told him, relieved, and moved to check on Bobby. "I'm calling 911."

"Abbie?"

"Told her to wait downstairs." Sam answered while pulling out his cell, "Ambulance please. It's our friend, he's been stabbed. Regent Inn. Thanks."

"Dean?" Abbie walked into the room, "Oh my-"

"Sam's called an ambulance." Dean assured her, as she went to sit beside Bobby. "Beth's fine, just upset."

"Dean, there's so much blood." She whispered, "Where's the damn ambulance?"

"Ab..." Bobby was waking up.

"I'm here, Bobby. We're all here. You're gonna be fine, you hear me?" She grabbed one of his hands, "You're gonna be fine."

"Bug?" Bobby asked, weakly.

"She's ok, Bobby." Abbie told him as paramedics arrived to take Bobby to the hospital.

"Babe, you go with Bobby to the hospital, we'll meet you there." Dean grabbed his car keys, "C'mon Sam."

(At the hospital)

"Hang on, Bobby. Hang in there." Abbie was telling him as the paramedics wheeled him away.

"I'm sorry, Miss. You need to wait out here." The paramedic told her.

"But-"

"There's nothing else you can do. Just wait here, we've got some questions."

"Look after him." She instructed him, he nodded and went through to continue working on Bobby.

"Abbie? What's going on?" Dean ran up to her, having followed the ambulance.

"They took him through there, I tried to go, but they wouldn't let me." She explained.

"Look, babe. You stay here with Bobby and Beth, Sam and I gotta go see about this sword."

"No. No way, Dean." Sam protested, "Bobby-"

"We're not doctors, Sam. We can't help him here. The demons heard where the sword is. We got to get to it before they do, if we're not too late already. Come on! Abbie, call us if anything happens."

"What will I tell them happened?"

"Bobby disturbed someone in the room, they stabbed him, you got there just after it happened and called us, ok?"

"K." Abbie nodded, Dean noticed her worry.

"He's tough, Abbie. He's gonna be fine." Dean told her, kissing her forehead, then leaning down to kiss Beth.

(At the Lock Up)

Dean and Sam arrived at the lock up, unlocked it and carefully walked inside, frowning when they seen dead bodies on the floor. "I see you told the demons where the sword is." Zachariah was behind them.

"Oh, thank god. The angel's here." Dean announced sarcastically.

"And to think...they could have grabbed it any time they wanted." Zachariah closed the door to the lock up, "It was right in front of them."

"What do you mean?" Sam asked, he couldn't see any sword.

"We may have planted that particular piece of prophecy inside Chuck's skull, but it happened to be true. We did lose the Michael sword. We truly couldn't find it. Until now. You've just hand-delivered it to us."

"We don't have anything." Dean told him.

"It's you, chucklehead. You're the Michael sword." Zachariah told him. "What? You thought you could actually kill Lucifer? You simpering wad of insecurity and self-loathing? No. You're just a human, Dean. And not much of one."

"What do you mean, I'm the sword?" Dean was still confused.

"You're Michael's weapon. Or, rather, his...receptacle." Zachariah clarified.

"I'm a vessel?" Dean questioned, remembering his comments to Jimmy about still having his family, because he was just a hunter, not a vessel. "I'm not-"

"You're _the_ vessel. Michael's vessel."

"How? Why-why me?" Dean felt outraged, no one asked him if he wanted to be a vessel.

"Because you're chosen! It's a great honor, Dean."

"Oh, yeah. Yeah, life as an angel condom. That's real fun. I think I'll pass, thanks." Dean turned to walk away. "I'm not doing it."

"Joking. Always joking. Well...no more jokes." Zachariah raised his hand, fingers like a gun, and pointed at Sam, "Bang." Sam fell down, as if shot by a real gun.

"You son of a bitch!" Dean yelled, moving to Sam's side.

"Keep mouthing off, I'll break more than his legs. And I won't stop at Sam either. Today's world, so dangerous, especially for little kids, huh? I am completely and utterly through screwing around. The war has begun. We don't have our general. That's bad. Now, Michael is going to take his vessel and lead the final charge against the adversary. You understand me?" Zachariah warned.

"How many humans die in the crossfire, huh? A million? Five, ten?"

"Probably more. If Lucifer goes unchecked, you know how many die? All of them. He'll roast the planet alive." Zachariah tried to justify his plan.

"There's a reason you're telling me this instead of just nabbing me. You need my consent. Michael needs my say-so to ride around in my skin." Dean realised, Michael, just like Lucifer was an angel. Zachariah nodded, "Well, there's got to be another way."

"There is no other way. There must be a battle. Michael must defeat the serpent. It is written." Zachariah told him.

"Yeah, maybe. But, on the other hand... Eat me. The answer's no."

"Okay. How about this? Your friend Bobby-we know he's gravely injured. Say yes, and we'll heal him. Say no, he'll never walk again." At this Sam looked up at Dean, would he say yes to help Bobby.

"No." Dean answered again.

"Then how about we heal you from...stage-four stomach cancer?" Dean felt an intense pain in his stomach, he began coughing, spitting blood into his hand.

"No." Dean repeated.

"Then let's get really creative. Uh, let's see how...Sam does without his lungs." Sam started gasping for breath.

"Are we having fun yet?" Zachariah asked, "Or do I need to heal Abbie from a brain tumor, or maybe Beth from, I dunno, meningitis. You're going to say yes, Dean."

Dean thought for a moment, would saying no kill Sam, Abbie and Beth, given his lack of trust, "Just kill us."

"Kill you? Oh, no. I'm just getting started-" Zachariah stopped, when a bright light flashed beside him. Castiel had appeared and walked over to Zachariah. Zachariah stared at Castiel in disbelief, "  
How are you..."

"Alive? That's a good question. How did these two end up on that airplane? Another good question. 'Cause the angels didn't do it. I think we both know the answer, don't we?" Castiel explained.

"No. That's not possible."

"It scares you. Well, it should. Now, put these boys back together and go. I won't ask twice." With this, Zachariah vanished, both Winchesters now healthy stood up. "You two need to be more careful." Castiel told them.

"Yeah, I'm starting to get that. Your frat brothers are bigger dicks than I thought." Dean commented.

"I don't mean the angels. Lucifer is circling his vessel. And once he takes it, those hex bags won't be enough to protect you." Castiel put a hand to Dean's chest, and the other on Sam's. Both men gasped, feeling a shock pass through their bodies.

"What the hell was that?" Dean asked, breathless.

"An Enochian sigil. It'll hide you from every angel in creation, including Lucifer."

"What, did you just brand us with it?"

"No. I carved it into your ribs."

Sam decided to finally speak, "Hey, Cas, were you really dead?"

"Yes."

"Then how are you back?" Dean asked, but Castiel merely vanished again. "Great." Dean's cellphone began to ring, "Hey Abbie, any news?"

"Umm, Bobby's ok. But ummm, they're saying..." She tried to compose herself, "God, Dean, he's not gonna walk again. They've not told him."

"Well doctors are wrong all the time." He sighed, "We're on our way back, we'll collect our stuff from the motel and be with you soon, ok?"

(At the hospital)

""Unlikely to walk again"? Why, you snot-nosed son of a bitch! Wait till I get out of this bed!" Sam and Dean could hear Bobby yell, and a moment later a doctor ran out. Sam and Dean walked in. "I'll use my game leg and kick your friggin' ass! Yeah, you better run!" Bobby yelled at the door, "You believe that yahoo?"

"Screw him. You'll be fine." Dean told him, lying.

"So, let me ask the million-dollar question. What do we do now?" Abbie asked, sitting on the edge of Bobby's bed. Sam had called and updated them on the way back.

"Well... We save as many as we can for as long as we can, I guess. It's bad. Whoever wins, heaven or hell, we're boned." Bobby sighed.

"What if we win?" Dean suggested, everyone stared at him as if he were nuts, "I'm serious. I mean, screw the angels and the demons and their crap apocalypse. Hell, they want to fight a war, they can find their own planet. This one's ours, and I say they get the hell off it. We take 'em all on. We kill the devil. Hell, we even kill Michael if we have to. But we do it our own damn selves."

"And how are we supposed to do all this, genius?" Bobby sniped.

"I got no idea. But what I do have is a GED, and a give-'em-hell attitude, and I'll figure it out."

"You are nine kinds of crazy, boy."

"It's been said." Dean smirked, he patted Bobby on the shoulder, "Listen, you stay on the mend. We'll see you in a bit."

"Yeah, night Bobby. I'll be back in to see you tomorrow, ok?" Abbie hugged him, following Dean to the door.

"Bye Bobby." Sam walked towards the door.

"Sam?" Sam turned around hearing Bobby address him, "I was awake. I know what I said back there. I just want you to know that...that _was_ the demon talking. I ain't cutting you out, boy. Not ever."

"Thanks Bobby." Sam managed to smile.

"You're welcome. I deserve a damn medal for this, but...you're welcome."

"Cas was here." Abbie told Dean, once they were outside the room. "Bobby was still asleep at the time."

"Did he do the rib thing?" Dean asked. "You and Beth?"

"You guys too?" Abbie laughed, "Well, figures we're usually together."

"Let's go find a motel, I dunno about you, I've had a hell of a day." Dean sighed, taking Beth, "You too, huh?" She stirred in her sleep, gripping his shirt.

Sam waited until they were in the car, and Abbie had fallen into an exhausted sleep. "You know, I was thinking, maybe we could go after the Colt."

"Why? What difference would that make?" Dean asked him, starting the engine.

"Well, we could use it on Lucifer. I mean, you just said back there-"

"I just said a bunch of crap for Bobby's benefit." Dean told him, "I mean, I'll fight. I'll fight till the last man, but let's at least be honest. I mean, we don't stand a snowball's chance, and you know that. I mean, hell, you of all people know that."

"Is there something you want to say to me?" Sam asked, sensing Dean was hiding something.

"I tried, Sammy. I mean, I really tried. But I just can't keep pretending that everything's all right. Because it's not. And it's never going to be. You chose a demon over your own brother-" Sam huffed and rolled his eyes, "-and look what happened."

"I would give anything—anything—to take it all back."

"I know you would. And I know how sorry you are. I do. But, man...you were the one that I depended on the most. And you let me down in ways that I can't even..." Dean pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to control his emotions, not wanting a fight with Abbie and Beth asleep in the back of the Impala, "I'm just-I'm having a hard time forgiving and forgetting here. You know?"

"What can I do?"

"Honestly? Nothing." Sam just looked down, expecting that answer, "I just don't...I don't think that we can ever be what we were. You know?I just don't think I can trust you. I have my girls to worry about, and the whole Lucifer thing, and now Bobby, I need to have someone I can trust, and that's not you."

Sam just looked at him, not knowing what to say or do.


	4. Chapter 4

4

"He say anything yet?" Dean asked Abbie, walking back into Bobby's room.

"Nope, he won't even talk to Beth, Dean. I'm really worried about him." Abbie answered, "C'mon, Bobby, please?"

"It's been like three days now?" Dean commented, making Abbie sigh. "We got to cheer him up. Maybe I'll give him a backrub."

"Dean, that's not funny." Abbie told him, focussing on Sam and Beth at the far end of the room. She nudged Dean, watching as Sam walked Beth along the room, holding her hands. "That's not gonna cheer him up, our ten month old can walk better than him at the minute."

"Look...we might have to wrap our heads around the idea that Bobby might not just bounce back this time." Abbie told him, as Sam walked over towards them with Beth.

"What's in the envelope?" He asked, picking Beth up.

"Went to radiology." He pulled out the contents of the envelope, "Got some glamour shots."

"That's where you were?" Abbie huffed, "What the-" The X-ray showed strange writing on the ribs.

"Let's just say the doctors are baffled."

"Holy crap." Sam took the films for a closer look.

"Yeah, well, Cas carved you one, Beth and Abbie too."

Sam's cell phone began to ring, "Hello? ...Castiel?"

"Oh my God." Abbie laughed, imagining Castiel using a cell phone.

"Ah, St. Martin's Hospital. Why? What are you-Cas?" Sam hung up his phone, and Castiel appeared at Bobby's door.

"Cell phone, Cas? Really? Since when do angels need to reach out and touch someone?" Dean asked, frowning.

"You're hidden from angels now-all angels. I won't be able to simply-" Castiel began to explain.

"Enough foreplay." Bobby called from inside his room, "Get over here and lay your damn hands on."

"Cas?" Abbie asked, "He can't walk. Can you-"

"Get healing. Now." Bobby demanded.

"I can't." Castiel walked into the room, Bobby turned his chair to face Castiel.

"Say again?"

"I'm cut off from heaven and much of heaven's power. Certain things I can do. Certain things I can't."

"You're telling me you lost your mojo just in time to get me stuck in this trap the rest of my life?" Bobby was furious.

"I'm sorry." Castiel told him.

"Shove it up your ass." Bobby growled, turning to face the window again.

"At least he's talking now." Dean mumbled, receiving a punch on the arm from Abbie.

"Now what we gonna do?" Abbie asked Dean, quietly. "We can't leave him like this, and we need to stop Lucifer. I'll go back to South Dakota with Bobby, you and Sam do what you gotta do."

"I heard that." Bobby grumbled, "I'm not a damned kid. I don't need you babysitting me!"

"Bobby, you can't look after yourself like this, you need to adjust to-"

"Life in this contraption? You think?" Bobby yelled.

"Hey!" Dean shouted to him, "She's just trying to help!"

"Don't need any damn help."

"I'll take Beth to the cafeteria." Abbie told them, taking her from Sam.

"Before you do, we need to talk." Castiel spoke to Abbie, "You too." He nodded to Sam and Dean. "Your plan to kill Lucifer."

"Yeah. You want to help?" Surely having Castiel onside would help.

"No. It's foolish. It can't be done."

"Oh. Thanks for the support." Dean snarked.

"But I believe I have the solution. There is someone besides Michael strong enough to take on Lucifer. Strong enough to stop the apocalypse."

"You do?" Abbie asked.

"Who's that?" Sam was intrigued.

"The one who resurrected me and put you on that airplane. The one who began everything. God. I'm gonna find God."

"God?" Abbie repeated, Castiel nodded, "God."

"Yes! He isn't in heaven. He has to be somewhere." Castiel explained.

"Try New Mexico. I hear he's on a tortilla." Dean joked.

"You're not helping, Dean." Abbie's nerves were shot.

"No, he's not on any flatbread." Castiel told Dean, misunderstanding.

"Listen, Chuckles, even if there is a God, he is either dead-and that's the generous theory-"

"He is out there, Dean."

"-or he's up and kicking and doesn't give a rat's ass about any of us." Dean told Castiel, "I mean, look around you, man. The world is in the toilet. We are literally at the end of days here, and he's off somewhere drinking booze out of a coconut. All right?" Abbie just shook her head and cuddled Beth closer to her, realising the full extent of what was going on.

" is not a theological issue. It's strategic. With God's help, we can win."

"It's a pipe dream, Cas." Dean told him, "Sorry, but it is."

"I killed two angels this week. My brothers. I'm hunted. I rebelled. And I did it, all of it, for you, and you failed. You and your brother destroyed the world." Sam looked down ashamed, Abbie wiped a tear from her eye, "And I lost everything, for nothing. So keep your opinions to yourself."

"You didn't drop in just to tear us a new hole. What is it you want?" Bobby spoke up again.

"I did come for something. An amulet." Castiel explained, "Very rare. Very powerful. It burns hot in God's presence. It'll help me find him."

"A God EMF?" Sam asked, Castiel nodded.

"Well, I don't know what you're talking about. I got nothing like that." Bobby told him.

"I know. You don't." Castiel gazed at Dean's amulet, "May I borrow it?"

"No!"

"Dean. Give it to me."

"You had a God tracking device this whole time?" Abbie asked Dean.

"I didn't know." Dean mumbled, then took it off, handing it to Castiel, "Don't lose it." Castiel took it, "Great. Now I feel naked."

"I'll be in touch." Castiel disappeared.

"When you find God, tell him to send legs!" Bobby yelled after him. "What?" He exclaimed as Abbie sighed. "You're not the one in the damned chair."

"Sorry, I uh..." She walked out to the hall.

"Bobby, I told you already, quit yelling at her. It's not her fault, she just wants to help you."

"Well unless she can get me legs, she's not gonna be much help. How am I supposed to look after Bug while I'm stuck in this damn thing? Abbie's got bigger things to worry about than me and this damn thing." Bobby finally let Dean in on what was going on in his head. "I couldn't stop Sam, couldn't save Karen all those years ago, I'm just useless, useless."

"You are _**not **_useless, Bobby." Sam told him, patting his shoulder, as Dean walked out to Abbie.

"C'mon back inside. He's just upset." He took Beth from her.

"I dunno..." She looked down at the ground.

"Look, I wanna show Bobby he's still needed ok?" Dean told her, "C'mon." She followed Dean inside, "Bobby, you ok with Beth while we grab a quick lunch?" Bobby wasn't given a choice as Beth was dumped in his lap. "I'll bring you back some pie."

"But-" Dean walked away with Abbie and Sam, "I can't-" Bobby stopped when he seen Beth grin up at him. "Looks like it's you and me, Bug." Bobby sat with Beth until his cell phone rang. "Hello?"

"Bobby. Bobby, damn it, can you hear me?" It was another hunter, Rufus.

"I can't hear you."

"Listen. I'm gonna need a little help here. Seems I'm up to my ass in demons. Whole damn town's infested. Hang on, hang on-"

"Where are you?" Bobby asked, Rufus was in trouble wherever he was.

"River Pass, Colorado."

"Colora—Colorado?"

"Colorado!" Rufus repeated.

"River Pass, Colorado?" Bobby clarified.

"River Pass!"

"Rufus? You there?" The phone went dead, "Well Bug, looks like your daddy and Uncle Sam are going to Colorado." He held on to Beth with one hand, and tried to wheel himself down to the cafeteria with the other. He wheeled himself in, spying them in a corner. "When you lot are finished your chat..."

"Bobby!" Abbie smiled, "What are you doing down here? Is Beth-"

"Bug's fine, see? I can handle her, even with this thing. Think of it like a massive stroller." Bobby laughed. "Anyhoos...You boys fancy a road trip to Colorado? Rufus just called, big demon problem there."

"Sure." Dean answered, "Abbie?"

"Umm I was kinda thinking maybe Abbie and Bug could come back with me to South Dakota." Bobby mumbled, "Help me get the place kinda wheelchair friendly."

"You're sure?" Abbie asked, surprised by Bobby's 180.

"Yeah, look, I'm sorry I yelled at you kid. I'm just not used to being so damned dependent." Bobby looked down.

"It's ok, Bobby. I just, no, we just wanna help you." Abbie told him.

"Hate to break up this moving Hallmark moment, but Colorado?" Dean asked.

"River Pass. Rufus is really up against it there." Bobby explained, "I'd go but you know, not quite a wheeled warrior, ya know."

"Not a problem, we're on it." Sam answered, "Dean?"

"You ok if we take off?" He asked Abbie.

"Sure, I'm sure Beth and Bobby will keep me busy." Abbie smiled, "You guys take care, ok?"

"Will do, see you back in South Dakota." Dean told her, "Later Bobby." He patted the older man's shoulder.

"You guys take care too." Sam hugged Abbie, then Bobby. "We'll call."

"You better, boy." Bobby told him.

"So, what now?" Abbie asked Bobby, wheeling him back to his room.

"I guess I better actually let that damned quack in here, and find out how I get me outta this place, and back home."

"Sounds like a good plan, Bobby." Abbie smiled, glad that he had turned a corner.


	5. Chapter 5

5

(Colorado – two days later)

"How do you think Abbie and Bobby are getting on?"

"Well, Abbie called earlier, she'd driven her and Bobby back to South Dakota. And within the hour Bobby had already thrown a tantrum." Dean sighed.

"Over what?"

"Wanting a cup of coffee, and not wanting to bug Abbie because she was putting Beth down for a nap upstairs. Ended up stretching to grab the coffee jar, and missed and it went over the floor."

"It's just spilt coffee granules, no biggie." Sam commented.

"Yeah, but Abbie gave him a row about it, he yelled, and I quote, "I'm not a damn kid! I don't need you hovering about!"

"Ouch." Sam grimaced, "How's Abbie?"

"Well, he woke Beth when he did that, so she tidied up the kitchen, made Bobby a coffee, and has been hiding out upstairs ever since."

"Jeez, you call Bobby?"

"Nope, he probably feels bad enough already. Abbie told me she's gonna hide out until it's time to make dinner, then re arrange the kitchen cupboards once Bobby's in bed." Dean explained, not envying his wife at the moment, "I think we might have the easier job here with the demons."

"Think again." Sam pointed to the bridge into town, no way would it hold a person's weight, never mind the Impala.

"This is the only road in or out."

Sam pulled out his cell phone and held it up, "No signal."

"Rufus was right. Demons got this place locked down."

"Looks like we're hiking in." Sam sighed, as they pulled their bags from the trunk, and headed into town.

"Whole lotta nothing going on in this town." Dean commented, noting how everywhere seemed deserted. All of a sudden, they heard a gun cock behind him, Dean slowly turned around, "Ellen?"

"Hello, boys. On your own?"

"Yeah, Abbie's back home looking after Bobby." Dean explained, "Ellen, what the heck's going on here?" Ellen splashed Dean with holy water and raised her gun, "We're us."

Ellen walked away from them and back to the church. Ellen watched carefully as both Sam and Dean walked over a salt line, then hugged Dean tightly. "Real glad to see you boys."

"What's going on, Ellen?"

"More than I can handle alone." She told them.

"How many demons are there?"

"Pretty much the whole town, minus the dead people and these guys." She explained, stopping in front of a closed door, "So, this is it, right? End times? It's got to be."

"Seems like it." Sam agreed.

Ellen knocked on the door. "It's me." The door opened to reveal a group of survivors, including a pastor, a business man, and a pregnant woman, "This is Sam and Dean. They're hunters. Here to help."

"You guys hip to this whole demon thing?" One of the men asked.

"Yeah. Are you?" Dean asked him.

"My wife's eyes turned black. She came at me with a brick. Kind of makes you embrace the paranormal." The business man told him.

"All right, catch us up." Sam told Ellen.

"I doubt I know much more than you. Rufus called. Said he was in town investigating omens. All of a sudden, the whole town was possessed. Me and Jo were nearby-"

"You're hunting with Jo?" Dean asked, surprised.

"Yeah. We got here, and the place - well, the place was like you see it. Couldn't find Rufus, then me and Jo got separated. I was out looking when I found you."

"Don't worry, we'll find her." Dean assured Ellen.

"Either way, these people cannot just sit here." Sam told them, surveying the room, "We got to get them out now."

"No, it's not that easy. I've been trying. We already made a run for it once." Ellen explained, "There used to be twenty of us." Now there were only ten civilians.

"Well, there's three of _us_ now-" Dean pointed out.

"You don't know what it's like out there. Demons are everywhere. We won't be able to cover everybody." Ellen sighed, "I dunno what we can do."

"What if we get everyone guns?" Sam suggested.

"What, are you gonna arm up baby bump over here?" He nodded to the extremely nervous pregnant woman.

"More salt we can fire at once, more demons we can keep away." Sam reasoned.

"There's a sporting goods store we passed on Main on the way in. I bet they got guns."

"All right. You stay. We'll go." Sam told Ellen.

"What about-" Ellen began to protest.

"If Jo and Rufus are out there, we'll bring them back." Sam promised, as he and Dean walked out.

"Whoa whoa whoa whoa. Hold on." Dean stopped walking. "Why don't I just go?"

"What? Alone?"

"Well, yeah. Somebody's got to stay here and start giving them Shotgun 101."

"Yeah. Ellen." Sam realised what Dean was getting at, "You don't want me going out there. Around demons."

"I didn't say that."

"Fine, then let's go." Sam walked out of the church.

(South Dakota)

"Bobby, you want me to help get you into Sam's room for now, I can swap the rooms around tomorrow if you want." Abbie suggested, glancing at the clock.

"I can wheel myself through to there." Bobby grumbled.

"You want a hot drink before bed?"

"I want you to sit on your ass." Bobby told her, "Or am I terrible company?"

"No, Bobby, I just-" She sighed, sinking down, "I just wanna help, ok? I know you don't like it, but we gotta try and get through this. I'm not saying it's gonna be easy, I mean, far from it, but I just want to make it as easy as I can for you, and if that means I'm constantly buzzing about, then so be it."

"I know what you're doing." Bobby looked up at her, "Keeping busy, I've seen you watching your cell phone."

"It's been a whole day, Bobby and nothing. Sam hasn't even called."

"They'll be fine."

"You don't know that." She stood up. "Look, if you're ok getting yourself to bed, I'm gonna start fixing up the kitchen. Put the things you want most in the lower cupboards."

"Abbie, kid. Sit." Bobby instructed her, "You don't need to take all of this on yourself, talk to me."

"No, Bobby, you don't need my crap on top of everything else."

"I _**know **_I don't need it-"

"Bobby, I'm fine. Dean's gonna be fine. Sam's gonna be fine. We're all gonna be damned fine, ok?" She wearily stood up, "Last chance for a hot drink?"

"Cocoa if you're offering." Bobby smiled at her, understanding her need to feel useful in a useless fight.

(Colorado)

"I'll get the salt. You get the guns." Sam told Dean, as they walked along the street.

"We'll go together." Dean answered.

"Dean, it's right there. Can we at least do this like professionals?" Sam walked towards a supermarket, while Dean went towards the sports shop. Sam walked into the supermarket and started to fill a bag with cans of rock salt, looking up when he heard the door open and two possessed teenagers walked in. He reached for his gun, alerting the demons to his presence. One of them rushed at him, forcing him into a shelf. Sam grabbed Ruby's knife from his jacket and stabbed the demon, doing the same to the second demon when he jumped him from behind. Sam looked at the knife, staring at the demon blood, when Dean walked in.

"Sammy?" Sam sighed, seeing Dean stare at the blood on the knife, clearly wondering if Sam had been tempted. "C'mon." They headed back to the church.

Ellen, Sam and Dean spent the next few hours showing the others how to load and shoot guns. "You know your way around a gun at all?" Dean asked one of the young guys, named Austin. The man just disassembled the gun, "Hm. Where'd you serve?"

"Fallujah. Two tours. Got back a little over a year ago. Takes one to know one. Where'd you serve?"

"Hell." Austin snorted, not believing him, "Seriously. Hell." Dean looked up and noticed Sam sitting in a corner by himself, he walked over, "Hey."

"Hey." Dean sat down beside Sam.

"What's wrong?"

"It's just...at the store. Those demons were possessing teenagers. I mean, I had to slit some kid's throat." Sam couldn't meet Dean's eyes.

"Come on, Sam, you had to."

"I know. I just...it used to be like..." Sam paused, "I just wish I could save people like I used to."

"What, you mean when you were all hopped up on demon blood?" Dean asked, surely Sam wasn't considering ever going down that route.

"I didn't say that."

"I'll be back." Ellen had appeared in front of them, "I can't sit here on my ass. My daughter's out there somewhere. I'm not back in half an hour, go. Get these people out of here."

"No, wait. I'll go with you." Sam stood up, Dean too.

"Whoa, hold on. Can I talk to you for a second?" Dean grabbed Sam's shoulder, pulling him away "You're gonna go out there again?"

"Well, crap doesn't hit the fan with coffee breaks." Sam reasoned.

"I'll go." Dean told him.

"It's fine. Just stay here, get 'em ready. I'll cover Ellen." Sam protested.

"Why's it got to be you?" Dean fumed.

"Oh, that's right, I forgot. You think I'll take one look at a demon and suddenly fall off the wagon, as if, after everything, I haven't learned my lesson."

"Well, have you?" Dean questioned, his answer was Sam slamming him against the wall, getting Ellen's attention.

"If you actually think I-" Sam stopped, and walked back into the room. "C'mon, Ellen."

"K." Ellen followed him outside, frowning at Dean, who was obviously furious about something. "Last seen her up ahead. So what's up with you and Dean?" Sam remained quiet, "It was hard not to notice, how different things are between you guys these days." Still nothing, "Lot of bad road there, huh? What happened? Abbie come between you or something?"

"Just-stresses of the job. You know how it is. Kind of surprised, you and Jo hunting. Weren't you always saying she couldn't hack the life?" Sam tried to steer the conversation away from his betrayal.

"She can't. But if she's gonna do it anyway-"

"You want to keep an eye on her." Sam finished, looking at a house up ahead, "Is that a chimney going?" Ellen nodded, "Come on." They walked towards the house, seeing a demon inside.

"Guess we found base camp." Ellen stated.

"Demons don't get cold. Makes you wonder what they're burning." Sam told her, walking around the corner, as Ellen was grabbed behind.

"Don't move, you evil skank!" A possessed Jo grabbed Ellen. The demon with Jo grabbed Sam's gun, and started hitting him, Sam managed to slam the demon into the wall, Jo pressed Ellen up against the door.

"Don't you hurt her, don't you-" Ellen appealed to the demon in Jo.

"Give me my mom back, you black-eyed bitch!" Jo growled at Ellen as she shoved Jo off of her.

"Ellen! Run!" Sam shouted to her, as he was knocked to the ground by a demon, or more specifically, a possessed Rufus.

"Got you now, you bastard." Rufus told him.


	6. Chapter 6

6

(Inside the Demon base)

Sam woke up a while later, only to find himself tied to a chair, a black-eyed Jo and Rufus hovering over him. He pulled at the ropes, "Uh-uh. No way you're getting out of those. Did you up myself. You're stuck right where I want you, you evil son of a bitch." Rufus told him while Jo splashed water over his face. Rufus grabbed his neck, forcing his head back.

"No, wait, wait, wait." Sam protested while Jo held Sam's head back, "Just, just wait."

Rufus poured salt on his face, "Exorcisamus te, exorcisamus te, omnis satanica-" A possessed Rufus was trying to exorcise Sam?

"Stop!" Sam yelled, but Rufus just continued, "Please!"

(Back at the Church)

"Still no signal." Dean huffed, walking around holding his cellphone up. "Dammit."

"You got someone waiting for you?" The pregnant girl asked him, "Back home?"

"Wife and daughter, she's ten months old." Dean smiled thinking of his family.

"That's nice." The girl replied, "This one's a boy." She told him, "If, if we ever get out of here-"

"It's not an if, it's a when. I promise you that." Dean told her, as the door was pounded, Dean opened the peep hole to see Ellen, he let her in. "Where's Sam?"

Ellen just shook her head, and handed the pregnant woman a bottle of water, "They took him? Demons took him? Oh my god. What if they're in here? The demons?" She asked Ellen.

"Could they get in?" The pastor questioned, feeling unsafe.

"No." Dean grabbed a shotgun and walked towards the door, "Everybody sit tight. I got to-" He turned and seen the people he could still help, and walked back toward them, "Okay, we need to get a plan together. Tell me everything."

"Let's talk over here." Ellen nodded to empty table, Dean followed, "Dean, one of them's in Jo. We got to get it out without hurting her. It called me a bitch."

"Bruise a little easy, don't you think?" Dean commented.

"No, that's not what I meant. It called me a black-eyed bitch." Ellen explained, Dean frowned, trying to work out what was going on, "What kind of demons are these? Holy water and salt roll right off. My daughter may be an idiot, but she's not stupid. She wears an anti-possession charm. It's all kind of weird, right?"

"The whole thing's off." Dean agreed, "My instinct is to call Bobby and ask for help. Or Sam."

"Well, tough. All you got's me, and all I got's you. So let's figure it out." Ellen told him.

"Do you know why Rufus came to town? Was there a specific omen?" Dean asked, "All Bobby said was demons."

"He said something about water. That's all I know." Ellen shook her head.

Dean walked over to another table, "Padré, you know what she's talking about-the water?" He asked the pastor.

"The river. Ran polluted all of a sudden."

"When?"

"Last Wednesday. And the demon thing started up the next day." Austin answered, joining the conversation.

"Anything else? Anything."

"Maybe, but it's pretty random."

"Good. Random's good." Ellen told him.

"Shooting star-does that count? Real big. Same night. Wednesday."

"That definitely counts." Dean decided, walking over to a bookshelf and grabbing a bible, "_**And there fell a great star from heaven, burning like a torch, and it fell upon the river, and the name of the star was Wormwood. And many men died."**_ Dean read aloud.

"Revelation eight ten. Are you saying that this is about the apocalypse?" The pastor asked.

"You could say. And these specific omens, they're prelude to what?" Ellen asked.

"The Four Horsemen." The pastor answered.

"And which one rides the red horse?"

"War."

"That cherry Mustang parked on Main." Ellen nodded in agreement with Dean, "It's the way I'd roll. I mean, think about it. It all makes sense. If War is a dude and he's here, maybe he's messing with our heads."

"Turning us on each other." Ellen realised.

"You said Jo called you a black-eyed bitch. They think we're demons, we think they're demons. What if there are no demons at all and we're all just killing each other?" Dean thought aloud.

"Wait, just back up. It's the apocalypse?" The Pastor didn't think it was possible.

"Sorry, Padré."

(South Dakota)

"She's getting about." Bobby commented, wheeling himself into his living room as Beth made her way around, holding onto furniture.

"Yeah, gonna keep us on our toes, that's for sure." Abbie laughed, then remembered Bobby's situation. "Sorry, Bobby, I meant, I didn't mean-"

"It's ok, Abbie. You can't not refer to feet or walking forever. This sucks ass, major ass, but it's what we got and it's what we're gonna deal with." Bobby told her.

"Wonder what's happening in Colorado..."

"I don't know, but Dean and Sam are smart, they'll be ok." Bobby told her.

"Bo!" Beth squealed, seeing Bobby in his chair, she got down onto the floor and crawled towards him.

"You wanna see Grandpa Bobby, huh?" Abbie asked her, as she pulled herself up on Bobby's legs to stand in front of him. "Let me." Abbie walked towards them.

"I got it." Bobby told her, leaning forward enough to pick her up. "Hey Bug. You want your dinner?"

"Bobby, I can-"

"I know you can, but I'm sure I can too."

"But-" Bobby sighed, hearing Abbie ready to refuse him, "K, I'll just be out here if you need anything."

Abbie settled herself on the sofa to watch some tv, cellphone in hand, eyes constantly checking for messages or a call. She fell asleep soon after.

(Abbie's dream)

_**Abbie was lying on Bobby's couch, when a man appeared beside her. "You know, Sam and Dean are the ones who can stop this."**_

"_**Who are you?"**_

"_**The fallen one."**_

"_**Lucifer."**_

"_**I need your help, I need Sam." He told her, "He's my vessel. You can help stop this, just get Sam to let me in."**_

"_**Never." Abbie shook her head. "This is a dream. Do me a favour, Lucy. Get outta my dream."**_

"_**You're so well hidden, this is the only way I can plead my case. You don't want the world to end, help me stop this from happening. If the angels have their way, this planet, your husband, your daughter, your friends, you will all die." Lucifer told her. "Help me."**_

"_**Help you? You're the devil!"**_

"_**I have been misunderstood. And Sam will say yes."**_

"_**He'll never say yes to you. Over my dead body." Abbie growled.**_

"_**That may be the case." Lucifer warned.**_

Abbie woke up with Bobby shaking her. "Abbie, wake up. It's a dream."

"Sam-" Abbie was looking around frantically. "I need to warn-"

"Sam's in Colorado, it was a dream, Abbie."

"Oh God, Bobby it was so real." She was still shaking.

"You wanna tell me about it?"

"It's stupid..." She sighed, "Where's Beth?"

"Sleeping on my bed." Bobby nodded to Sam's old bedroom, which was now his due to being downstairs. "Now, that dream?"

"I dreamt about Lucifer."

"Lucifer?" Bobby repeated, "You were dreaming about Lucifer?"

"I know, it's stupid. Probably just with everything happening recently. I mean, why would Lucifer seek me out?"

"Good question." Bobby mumbled, remembering Castiel's comments about Lucifer circling his vessel, and Dean being Michael's vessel. "What did he say?"

"Sam's his vessel, he wants me to convince Sam to say yes to him. It's so stupid, I mean, how unlucky would we be to have both of them as vessels. It was just a stupid dream."

"Yeah I'm sure it was." Bobby told her, "Look, why don't you take Bug upstairs and get some sleep, ok?"

"Yeah." Abbie yawned, walking through to get Beth, she got to the bottom of the stairs, and turned to Bobby, "Bobby?"

"Yeah, kid?"

"Castiel used to come to me in dreams, do you think this is really him? Lucifer?"

"I don't know." Bobby answered, "Like you said, might have just been a stupid dream. Get some sleep, Abbie."

"Night, Bobby. Holler if you need anything, or call my cell, ok?"

"I will." He told her, as he wheeled himself over to his bookshelf to read up some more on Lucifer and Michael.


	7. Chapter 7

7

(Demon Base)

Jo was still holding Sam's head while Rufus poured salt on him, "Please! Come on!" Sam begged them.

"-omnis immundus-" Rufus continued the exorcism, but stopped when he seen it was doing no good.

"Look! Something's not right! Do you see that?" Sam told them, as Jo let go of him and splashed him with the holy water. "Come on! Stop! Listen to me!" Sam looked and seen Roger, the business man who had previously been in the church with Dean standing just outside the door. Roger fiddled with the ring on his right hand. "Listen!"

Jo and Rufus were stood together in the corner. "Why isn't it working?" Jo asked Rufus, glancing back at Sam seeing him with demon black eyes.

"I don't know." Rufus sighed.

"Look, listen to me, something's not right!" Sam repeated.

"But he's not as strong as he thinks he is." Rufus told Jo.

"You can see that. Please. Please. Just listen to me." Sam pleaded, as they gave up and walked out. Roger waited until they had gone and walked in to see Sam. "Who the hell are you?" Roger didn't answer, "What are you?"

"You caught me. Popped in to watch. I can hustle like that." Roger began to explain.

"So, the Roger everyone around here knows, the real Roger?"

"Buried in a ditch." Roger answered, sitting down in front of Sam, "As for who I am...Here's a hint. I was in Germany. Then in Germany. Then in the Middle East. I was in Darfur when my beeper went off. I'm waiting to hook up with my siblings. I've got three. We're going to have so much fun together."

Sam nodded, realising who he was, "I know who you are. There aren't any demons in town, are there?"

"Nope. Just frightened people ripping each other's throats out. I really haven't had to do too much. Take out a bridge here, lay in a little hallucination there, sit back, pop some corn, watch the show. Frankly, you're really vicious little animals, Sam."

"No. You're doing this." Sam growled.

"Please. These people are stabbing each other's children."

"Because you made them see demons!"

"Honestly, people don't need a reason to kill each other. I mean, you seen the Irish? They're all Irish." Roger, or War, continued, "You think I'm a monster. I'm jello shots at a party. I just remove inhibitions."

"I'm gonna kill you myself."

War just laughed at Sam, "Oh, that's adorable, considering you're my poster boy. You can't stop thinking about it, ever since you saw it dripping off the blade of that knife."

"You're wrong."

"Save your protests for your brother. I can see inside your head. And man, it is one-track city in there. Blood, blood, blood. Lust for power. Same as always. You want to be strong again. But not just strong. Stronger than everybody. Good intentions-quick slide to hell, buddy boy. You feel bad now? Wait till you're thigh deep in warm corpses. Because, my friend, I'm just getting started." War stood up, "Showtime for the meatsuits. Watch this." He twisted his ring again, and blood began to run down his forehead, he kicked the chair over he had been sitting on, he screamed, and Rufus and Jo ran in, "He did it!" Rufus looked over at Sam, "He said they're coming! He said they're coming to get us!"

"No, stop! Jo, Rufus, he's lying! No!"

"You shut your mouth!" Rufus warned him.

"Please! Jo! He's lying!" Rufus shut Sam up by backhanding him.

(Church)

"So now you're saying that there are no demons and war is a guy." Austin tried to understand what Dean had told him.

"You believed crazy before." Dean told him, as someone started hammering on the door.

"Open up! It's Roger!" Austin let him, "I saw them, the demons. They know we're trying to leave. They said they're gonna pick us off one by one."

"Wait wait wait. What?" Dean asked him, there were, after no demons.

"I thought you said there were no demons." Austin turned to Dean.

"There's not. Where did you go?"

"I thought someone should go out and see what's going on!" War explained.

"Where did you see the demons and what did they say exactly?"

"They're gonna kill us unless we kill them first." War told him.

"Hold on. Hold on." Dean told Austin, who was ready to believe what War had said.

Austin handed a gun to someone, "No, man, we got people to protect. All right, the able-bodied go hunt some demons."

"Whoa whoa whoa. Slow your roll. This is not a demon thing."

War twisted his ring, making everyone see Dean and Ellen as demons, "Look at their eyes! They're demons!"

"Go, go!" Dean told Ellen, managing to escape just as Austin shot the door.

(Demon Base)

Jo was holding two bombs while Rufus tied windows closed, "Hey, Rufus. Pipe bombs won't kill a demon."

"Right. But in my experience, demons come at you slower if they're in a body with no limbs."

"One of them is in my mother." Jo reminded him.

"Jo, listen to me. You know I'm gonna do everything I can. Your mom's gonna be okay."

"Unless she comes through that window." Jo sighed.

Jo and Rufus walked through to another room to start loading shot guns, when they heard an explosion. They walked through to see the room devastated, but empty. Someone grabbed Rufus, someone else grabbed Jo.

"Now you listen up, Joanna Beth Harvelle." Ellen had grabbed Jo and slammed her against the wall, while Dean floored Rufus.

"Listen to me. I'm not a demon. Think, Rufus. All those omens." Dean started to tell Rufus.

"You go to hell." Rufus snarled at him, kicking him in the crotched and then punching him, Dean managed to grab him back just as he was reaching for a gun.

"Rufus! The polluted water, the shooting star, the red Mustang-it's War. I'm telling you, it's War. The Horseman!"

"Horseman?"

"Yes. He's turning us against each other. You're hallucinating." Dean told him, as his eyes, in Rufus's view, changed back to being human.

"Did you figure this out all by yourself, genius?" Rufus asked him, following him back inside the house.

"We all on the same page?" Ellen asked, seeing them. Both Rufus and Dean nodded.

"Okay, we got to find War before everybody in this town kills each-" Dean started, only to be interrupted by a gunshot. "Damn it! Where's Sam?"

"Upstairs."

Dean walked upstairs to Sam, "Dean. It's not demons."

"It's War." Dean agreed, "I just can't figure out how he's doing it." Dean cut Sam free.

"The ring." Sam explained.

"The ring. The ring—that's right. He turned it right before he made everybody hallucinate and go hellbitch." Sam nodded in agreement, "We got to move. Come on."

A full on gun battle ensued between the residents of the town and the hunters.

"People, cease fire! Stop shooting! Stop!" Rufus called out, taking the gun from one of the men and slamming him in the head with it, "I'm getting too old for this." Someone shot from the house and wounded the pastor.

Ellen ran over to them, with a cloth to stem the bleeding, "I'm not what you think, honey. Come on, keep this right here." Ellen told the young woman who was with the pastor.

Rufus, meanwhile had gone back inside to the man who had shot the pastor, "'Stop firing' usually means 'stop firing'." He took the gun from him.

War watched with smug satisfaction, walking back towards the red mustang, only to meet Sam and Dean who had been waiting for him. They held him against the car, and Sam pulled out Ruby's knife, "Okay. That's a sweet little knife. But come on. You can't kill war, kiddos."

"Oh, we know." Dean smirked, as Sam cut off the fingers of War's right hand. The ring fell to the ground, Dean picked it up.

"Well this has been fun." Rufus walked up to them. "You wanna go grab a beer?"

"Umm, maybe next time?" Dean told him, "I really need to get outta here, to a place with cell reception, God knows Abbie and Bobby are gonna be worried."

"Not a problem, see you around."

"You boys drive safe ok?" Ellen hugged both of them in turn, "Give the others my love."

"Will do Ellen." Dean answered. "You guys take care, ok?"

"Of course." Jo smiled at him, "Remember the Roadhouse is always open, we'd love to see you all again, under better circumstances of course."

"Bye." Sam told them, climbing into the Impala. "Dean, we need to talk."

"Next rest stop, we can do the whole heart to heart thing. I just need outta here, need to hear my girls and Bobby are ok and haven't killed each other, ok?"

"Sure."

Dean pulled away, cellphone in hand. "Hey Abs, problem solved, we're on our way home."

"Great." Abbie smiled, "Beth's missed her daddy and Uncle Sam."

"Just Beth, huh?"

"Well, I'm sure Bobby missed you too."

"Charming." Dean laughed, "How is he?"

"He's doing better, Dean. I think he's gonna be ok, and Beth loves riding in the chair with him."

"That's great, look, I'm driving, so we'll be back two days tops ok?"

"See you then." Abbie hung up the phone.

(At the next rest stop)

"So, pit stop at Mount Doom?" Dean joked, holding out War's ring.

"Dean-" Sam started.

Dean held a hand up, "Sam, let's not."

"No, listen. This is important. I know you don't trust me." Dean looked down at the table, "Just, now I realize something. I don't trust me either." Dean looked up at him, "From the minute I saw that blood, only thought in my head...and I tell myself it's for the right reasons, my intentions are good, and it, it feels true, you know? But I think, underneath...I just miss the feeling. I know how messed up that sounds, which means I know how messed up I am. Thing is, the problem's not the demon blood, not really. I mean, I, what I did, I can't blame the blood or Ruby or...anything. The problem's me. How far I'll go. It's something that means...it scares the hell out of me, Dean. In the last couple of days, I caught another glimpse..."

"So what are you saying?" Dean asked him, not sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"I'm in no shape to be hunting. I need to step back, 'cause I'm dangerous. Maybe it's best we just...go our separate ways."

Dean thought for a moment, "Well, I think you're right."

"I was expecting a fight."

"The truth is I spend more time worrying about you than about doing the job right. And I just, I can't afford that, you know? Not now."

Sam nodded, totally understanding, "I'm sorry, Dean."

"I know you are, Sam." Sam stood up, "Hey, do you, uh, wanna take the Impala?"

"It's okay. You need it with Abbie and Beth. Tell them I'm sorry? Make sure you send me regular updates on what Beth's been doing."

"Course. You'll come back for her birthday? It's 7 weeks away."

"I'll try. I'll call in a couple of days, let Abbie know I'm alive and kicking, I know she worries." Sam stood up, "Take care of yourself, Dean."

"Yeah, you too, Sammy." Sam grabbed his bag from the trunk and walked over to a truck parked nearby, and arranged a ride with the driver, leaving a few minutes later. Dean watched in almost disbelief as he went, wondering how in the hell he was going to explain Sam's absence to Abbie and Bobby.


	8. Chapter 8

8

(Two days later)

"Hey Beth, that sounds like Daddy's car." Abbie smiled at her daughter, "Will we go and say hi to Daddy and Uncle Sam?" Beth squealed in delight, and raised her arms, indicating she wanted Abbie to pick her up. Abbie picked her up and walked to the front door. "Hey you." She greeted Dean as he grabbed his bag from the trunk and headed up to the front porch where they were waiting. "No Sam?"

"Hey." Dean hugged her tight, kissing her, then took Beth. "Hey there, Beth. You should be in bed." He hugged her tight to him, then walked inside, Abbie following. "Hey Bobby, how you doing?"

"Doing ok, Dean." Bobby answered, wheeling himself into the lounge. "Where's Sam?"

"He's not with me." Dean answered, sitting down on the sofa. "We decided to go our separate ways."

"Go your separate ways?" Abbie repeated, "What do you mean? Separate ways? You guys have a fight? I don't think now's the time to be splitting up."

"It was his idea." Dean explained, "He suggested it."

"And you didn't tell him he was being stupid?"

"Look, Abbie, it's been a long drive, I can do without the interrogation." Dean snapped, standing up with Beth and grabbing a beer from the refrigerator.

"I'm calling Sam." Abbie pulled out her cell phone.

"Don't call him, he wanted this."

"Wanted to be out there on his own?" Abbie asked, "With Lucifer on the loose?"

"Yeah he did."

"What happened out there?"

"He doesn't trust himself hunting. He got tempted by demon blood, he didn't do anything, but it messed with him. And if he doesn't trust himself, what am I supposed to do? I'm worrying more about Sam when we're hunting than the hunt, and that's when thing's get dangerous." Dean explained, "So Sam's out."

"Just like that, he's out?" Abbie pressed Dean, "Beth and I can't make you quit, but Sam can just say 'I'm out' and you're good with that?"

"Abbie, honey." Dean sighed, "Don't be like this. Please."

"So he's not hunting?"

"Not as far as I know." Dean answered, "I don't know where he is, what he's doing. But here's the thing, he's an adult, he can make his own decisions."

"What now?"

"We stop Lucifer." Dean told her.

"We? As in you and me?" Abbie snorted. "We stop Lucifer?"

"What else can we do, just bend over?" Dean exclaimed, "I'm not giving up without a fight, ok? I'm not saying 'Yes' to Michael. Playing their game. We just need to do it without Sam."

"What if Sam..." Abbie trailed off, remembering her dream.

"What if Sam what?" Dean asked, "You know something?"

"No, I just-" Abbie sighed, "It's nothing. Forget it. You'd better tell Cas our team is down a member."

"It's not nothing. You're rattled." Dean frowned at her.

"I just had a stupid dream, about Lucifer and Sam and Lucifer wants me to convince Sam to let him in, that Sam's Lucifer's vessel." Abbie explained all in one breath, Dean just stared at her, taking in the information. "Stupid I know. I'm officially cuckoo for cocoa puffs. I mean, it's crazy right? Right, Dean?"

Dean glanced at Bobby who'd been watching in silence. "Yeah, course it is. Hardly surprising given the stress of the past week, you're bound to have nightmares."

"Yeah." Abbie nodded, "So, can I call Sam?"

"Give him a day or so, he told me he'd call you. Why don't you send him a picture of Beth through to his cell instead?" Dean suggested, "He wants regular updates on our girl here."

"What about her birthday?" Abbie asked, "He'll come back for that, won't he?"

"He said he'll try." Dean sighed, "He wouldn't miss it, I'm sure. You know how much he loves Beth. He didn't tell me to let him know how I was, or how you were, or Bobby. He wanted Beth updates."

"He's gonna miss her starting to walk." Abbie told him, "You nearly did, yesterday. She nearly did it."

"Really?" Dean looked at Bobby for confirmation.

"Fell flat on her backside. Didn't cry though."

"That's 'cause she's a Winchester, huh Beth? Winchesters don't cry."

"You sound just like your Daddy." Bobby commented to Dean.

"She didn't cry because she's got plenty of padding with that diaper." Abbie laughed, "Besides, she probably wanted to wait until she had you here, show off to you, you know?"

"Awww, you were waiting for me?" Dean asked Beth, who just leaned closer into him, settling down to go to sleep.

"So, what happened in Colorado?" Bobby finally asked Dean once Beth had fallen asleep in his arms, "Demons?"

"Think bigger."

"Lucifer?"

"Not quite. It was War."

"War?" Abbie frowned, "War, like an entity?"

"Horseman." Dean answered, "Making people think that there were demons. Hell, people even thought Ellen and I were possessed. Jo thought Ellen was possessed. Ellen thought Jo was possessed. Rufus thought Sam was. It was one of the most screwed up hunts..."

"But no one was possessed, right?" Bobby asked.

"Nope. Just War, screwing with all of us."

"Damn. It's one of the signs, isn't it?" Abbie sighed, "On a scale of 1-10, how screwed are we?"

"I'd say pretty damned high on that scale." Bobby told her. "Horsemen? So what we have, Pestilence, Famine and Death to look forward to?"

"If we believe the bible." Abbie nodded, "Shit."

"Understatement if you ask me." Bobby mumbled, "Nothing we can do about it tonight. Why don't you put Beth to bed and have a couple of beers, huh? I'm gonna hit the hay. Night kids."

"Night Bobby." Abbie answered.

"Night." Dean repeated, standing up with Beth, "Bobby's got a point, nothing more to do tonight, well, not about Lucifer anyway...c'mon Mrs Winchester. Early night?"

"Sounds nice." Abbie agreed following Dean upstairs.

(Two weeks later)

"She's gonna do it." Dean whispered to Abbie, "You got your phone ready?"

"Yeah." Abbie nodded, "Bobby?"

"I'm watching." Bobby wheeled himself to beside Dean. "She's definitely thinking about it."

Beth looked at all three of them, a few steps away from her. "Beth, come on to Daddy." Dean held his arms out to her, "That's it." He turned to Abbie for a second, "You getting this?"

"Uh huh." Abbie grinned, "You can do it Beth."

Beth took a shaky step forward, then another and another, finally ending up in Dean's arms. "You did it." He whispered to her, grinning. Moments like this made his forget the apocalypse was looming.

(Garber, Oklahoma)

"Keith? Your phone's buzzing." One of the waitresses, Lindsey told Sam. "Abbie?" She picked up the phone and handed it to him. "Who's Abbie?"

"She's, uh, my brother's wife." Sam explained, "Probably nothing." Sam put the phone in his pocket, and walked outside to check the voicemail.

"Hey Sam, just me. Again. Umm, hope you're doing ok, still. Call me. Oh, and I'm about to send you another message, let me know what you think." Sam's phone beeped with another message as soon as he closed it over, he opened it up, seeing the video message from Abbie.

"She finally did it." Sam laughed to himself.

"Finally did what?" Lindsey asked Sam.

"Oh, uh, Beth, my niece. She just walked."

"Cool." Lindsey watched the video, "I'm just gonna finish setting up."

"I'll be there in a minute." Sam told her, dialling Abbie's number. "Abbie, hey."

"Sam, oh my god, Dean, it's Sam." Abbie called to him.

"Sammy? He ok?" Sam could hear Dean ask.

"I'm fine, Abbie." Sam saved her asking, "Just thought I'd phone and see how the latest Winchester biped is."

"Biped? Oh Beth." Abbie laughed, realising what he meant, "She's doing great. She misses her Uncle Sammy."

"You're just saying that." Sam smiled, "But thanks. I miss her too."

"She does too." Abbie told him, "So what you been up to?"

"This and that. Bus boy by day, bartender by night. Making an honest living. How about you?"

"Oh, I think Dean's found a vampire nest in Pennsylvania, so we're heading off tomorrow to try and fix that."

"You and Dean?"

"Not as if Bobby can hunt. So, we've asked Ellen to help Bobby out for a week or so with Beth."

"That's good. You guys watch your back with those vampires, you hear me?"

"Yes Dad." Abbie laughed, "You know, if you feel the inclination to just, jump in, feel free."

"I'm doing ok here."

"You wanna talk to Dean?" Abbie asked him.

"Umm I'm actually due back from my break, I'll talk to Dean later I'm sure. Bye Abbie."

"Bye Sam." He hung up the phone.

"Ellen's gonna be here in about an hour, so we can get ready to go." Dean told Abbie walking back into the room. "Sam ok?"

"Yeah, just checking in."

"Good." Dean nodded, walking upstairs to grab their bags.

(3 weeks later)

Dean was packing things up so that him, Abbie and Beth could head back home, while Abbie was standing at the sink, scrubbing some blood from Dean's jacket. "God!" She heard Dean gasp, and turned to see Castiel standing in front of him.

"Hello Dean, Abbie." Castiel looked down to see Beth at his feet, "Beth." She toddled away towards Dean again. Castiel frowned, watching her. "She is walking."

"Yeah, for almost a month, Cas." Abbie explained to him, handing Dean his jacket, and beginning to clean his knife.

"Cas, we've talked about this. Personal space?" Dean told him, Cas was still standing right in front of him.

"My apologies." Castiel stepped back from Dean.

"How'd you find us? I thought we were flying below the angel radar." Abbie asked him, as Dean continued to pack, after placing Beth on the bed with a toy to keep her amused.

"You are. Bobby told me where you were." Castiel looked around the room, "Where's Sam?"

Dean closed his bag over and pulled on his jacket, "Me and Sam are taking separate vacations for a while. You find God yet? More importantly, can I have my damn necklace back, please?"

"No, I haven't found him. That's why I'm here. I need your help."

"Our help?" Abbie repeated, handing Dean his now clean knife and putting on her jacket, and doing the same with Beth.

"With what? God hunt? Not interested." Dean told Cas, grabbing the bags.

"It's not God. It's someone else." Castiel explained.

"Who?" Abbie asked, "There's someone bigger than God?"

"Archangel. The one who killed me. Raphael."

"You were wasted by a teenage mutant ninja angel?" Dean had to bit back a laugh.

"I've heard whispers that he's walking the earth. This is a rare opportunity." Castiel continued.

"For what? Revenge?"

"Information."

"So, what, you think you can find this dude and he's just gonna spill God's address?"

"Yes, because we are gonna trap him and interrogate him."

Abbie shook her head, Dean turned to Castiel. "You're serious about this. So, what, I'm Thelma and you're Louise and we're just going to hold hands and sail off this cliff together?"

"Give me one good reason why we should do this." Abbie asked Castiel, "It's crazy."

"Because he's Michael's vessel and no angel will dare harm him."

"Oh, so I'm your bullet shield?" Dean wasn't amused.

"I need your help because you are the only one who'll help me. Please." Castiel pleaded.

"Dean?" Abbie asked, picking Beth up. "Surely you're not-"

"All right, fine. Where is he?" Dean answered.

"Dean!" Abbie exclaimed.

"Maine. Let's go." Castiel reached out to touch Beth's forehead, Abbie pulled her away. "Abbie?" Castiel removed his hand, "What?"

"Last time you zapped us some place she didn't poop for a week. We're driving." Abbie told him.

"Driving?" Castiel huffed.

"Yeah, in a car, you know? Like other humans..." Abbie teased.

"C'mon then, let's go find us a Teenage Mutant Ninja Angel." Dean picked up the bags and headed for the car.


	9. Chapter 9

9

(Waterville, Maine)

"Ok, Cas. You wait here with Beth, Abbie and I are going in." Dean told Castiel, as he straightened his tie.

"It would be better if I go with you, find out if this incident is related to Raphael." Cas protested, "I can pretend to be an FBI agent as well as Abbie can, in fact, aren't FBI agents and law enforcement mostly male?"

"We need to update Cas's TV viewing, Dean. Starksy and Hutch, and Miami Vice just aren't cutting it." Abbie laughed, "Go ahead, Cas. Knock yourself out, Beth and I are going to the cafe."

They all got out of the car, "So you wanna tell me why we're here again?" Dean asked Castiel as they walked across to the police station.

"A deputy sheriff laid eyes on the archangel."

"And he still has eyes?" Dean remembered Pam's injuries, all too well, "All right, what's the plan?"

"We'll...tell the officer that he witnessed an angel of the Lord, and the officer will tell us where the angel is."

"Seriously? You're going to walk in there and tell him the truth?"

"Why not?" Castiel questioned, frowning at Dean.

"Because we're humans." Dean handed Castiel a fake ID, "And when humans want something really, really bad, we lie." He spoke to the officer at the front desk, "Hi, we need to speak to your deputy."

"Umm, who are you?"

"FBI." Castiel supplied, nodding at Dean, pleased with himself for lying.

"First case." Dean explained, sighing with a smile.

"Sure, go on through."

"Deputy Framingham?" Dean asked, holding up his FBI ID. "Hi. Alonzo Mosely, FBI. This is my partner, Eddie Moscone." Castiel didn't do anything, missing his cue, "Also FBI." Dean prompted, nudging him. Castiel pulled his ID out, upside down, Dean fixed it, "He's, uh, he's new. Mind if we ask you a few questions?"

"Yeah, sure. Hearing's all shot to hell though." He explained, apologetically.

"That happen recently?" Dean enquired.

"Gas station. Why you're here, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Dean answered, following Framingham's lead and sitting down. "You mind just, uh, running us through what happened?"

"A call came in. Disturbance out at the Pump and Go on Route 4. Would not have believed my eyes if I hadn't seen it myself. We're talking a riot. Full scale."

"How many?"

"Thirty, forty, in all-out kill-or-be-killed combat?"

"Any idea what set them off?" Dean asked.

"It's angels and demons, probably." Castiel supplied, to Dean's almost horror, and Framingham's confusion, "They're skirmishing all over the globe."

"Come again?"

"Demons." Castiel repeated.

"Nothing. Nothing." Dean spoke over Castiel, forcing Castiel to shut up. "Demons, you know, drink, adultery. We all have our demons, Walt." Framingham just frowned, "Anyway. What happened next?"

"Freaking explosion, that's what. They said it was one of those underground gas tanks, but, uh, I don't think so."

"Why not?"

"Wasn't your usual fireball. It was, um-"

"Pure white." Castiel answered for him.

Framingham stared at Castiel, shocked, "Yeah. Gas station was levelled. Everyone was...it was just horrible. And I see this one guy, kneeling, real focused-like, not a damn scratch on him."

"You know him?" Dean asked.

"Donnie Finneman. Mechanic there."

"Let me guess, he just, uh, vanished into thin air?" Dean guessed, not expecting Framingham to have an answer.

"Uh, no, Kolchak. He's down at Saint Pete's."

Castiel turned to Dean, "Saint Pete's."

"Thank you." Dean nodded to Castiel for stating the obvious. "We'll be in touch." He told Framingham, shaking his hand and getting up to leave.

"Well?" Abbie asked, seeing Dean and Castiel walking into the cafe.

"Raphael blew up a gas station, and is now in St Pete's."

"The archangel is in hospital?"

"His vessel." Castiel clarified.

"So, we're going there? I mean, he's harmless if he's just a vessel isn't he?"

"I think he would be unable to cause harm to even a fly." Castiel supposed, "It will be safe for both you and Beth to visit."

"Whoa whoa. You don't decide where Abbie and Beth go." Dean reminded Castiel.

"You're right, I do." Abbie countered. "Come on, I wanna see him."

(At the hospital)

They stood outside a room, looking in. The patient was sitting in a wheelchair, catatonic.

"I take it that's not Raphael anymore."

"Just an empty vessel."

"So is this what he's looking at if Michael jumps in his bones?" Abbie asked Castiel.

"No, not at all." Abbie breathed a sigh of relief, until Castiel continues, "Michael is much more powerful. It'll be far worse for him." Dean looked away from the patient.

"Worse?" Abbie asked, "Worse than that?" She turned to Dean, "No way in hell are you letting him do that to you."

"I'm with you on that one." Dean agreed.

"I need to go and get something to help us with Raphael, I'll call you when I return." Castiel told them.

"You'll-" Dean started, as Castiel disappeared. "Great. Let's get outta here, he's giving me the creeps."

Abbie followed Dean out of the hospital, "So, what now? We just wait for Cas to call?"

"I'm guessing so..."

(In Garber)

"What's he watching?" Sam asked Lindsey, watching the boss focussed on the TV, frowning.

"Just the news, some screwy stuff happening out there." She answered, "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." Sam continued wiping down the bar.

"You finished that crossword puzzle in the kitchen?"

"Uh, I guess. Why?"

"The _New York Times_ Saturday crossword?" Lindsey pointed out, gazing at Sam.

"Was it?" Sam acted dumb.

"Uh-huh. You blow into town last week, you don't talk to anybody, you're obviously highly educated. You're like this..."

"Riddle wrapped inside an enigma wrapped inside a taco?" Sam finished, laughing.

Lindsey nodded, "You play darts?" Sam nodded, "Here's what we play for. When I win, you buy me dinner and tell me your life story."

"Sounds fair." Sam nodded, then was distracted by the TV again.

"-last year alone, standards of- and see how that turns out-" The picture wasn't great, "And now-"

Sam gave up interpreting the TV and threw his darts at the board, all three landing in the bullseye.

"Very mysterioso." Lindsey commented, as Sam focussed on the Tv again, "Spring hail, lightning strikes, and now fire-" The screen showed a hailstorms, and then forest fires, "Locals say that what started as a torrential hailstorm late this afternoon suddenly turned to massive lightning strikes that triggered the fires now consuming more than twenty acres here along the Route 17 corridor. County officials are advising all Tully residents to prepare for what could become mandatory evacuations." The boss switched the TV officially

"Damn. Is it me or does it seem like it's the end of the world?" He asked Sam.

"It's crazy." Sam agreed, "Look, I'm gonna head off, I'll be back at 7 for my shift." Sam walked out and back to his motel. He wasted no time in reading up on Revelation, then decided to call Bobby.

"Sam?"

"Hey Bobby. How you doing?"

"Well I ain't running any marathons, but I'll live. Where are you?"

"Uh, Garber, Oklahoma. I found a town up the road showing some Revelation omens."

"What omens?"

"All right, listen to this. 'And upon his rising there shall be hail and fire mixed with blood.'"

"Well ain't that delightful." Bobby grumbled.

"Yeah. But we already got hailstorms and fire so I'm guessing blood can't be too far behind."

"There a reason you're calling?" Bobby asked.

"Dean didn't tell you?" Sam questioned, what had Dean told Bobby to explain Sam's absence if he hadn't to him he was out?

"He told me." Bobby told him, obviously not happy.

"Yeah. So I just thought you might want to find out who's in the area and put a man on this." Sam continued.

"Okay, let me see if I can think of the best hunter who might be in the immediate vicinity—oh, that'd be you." Bobby exclaimed.

"I can't, Bobby, I'm sitting this one out."

"Sam-"

"I gotta go. I'm so sorry."

"Hold on, Sam-" But Sam hung up before Bobby could continue, Bobby threw his phone away in frustration.

(Back at the bar, that night)

"Hey, Sam." A fellow hunter came into the bar, Sam ignored him. "Sam."

"Sam? What happened to Keith?" Lindsey asked him.

"Wait, what?" Sam asked her.

"He called you Sam." Lindsey told him.

"Yeah. Uh. Sam's my middle name." Sam tried to explain.

"Keith Sam? Man, I'm sorry." Lindsey laughed.

"Well, actually, it's Samuel, so it's not quite as dumb as it sounds." The hunter, Tim, told her.

"Are you guys friends?"

"Hunting buddies. With his dad. Samuel here is quite the hunter himself." Another hunter, Steve supplied.

"Wow. You killed deer and things?"

"Yeah, and things." Tim confirmed.

"Um. Why don't I get you guys some drinks?" Sam tried to steer the conversation away from hunting. The other hunters sat at a table, Sam brought over a tray of beers and sat with them.

"Sorry. Didn't mean to bust you back there." Tim apologised.

"It's all right. So what's up?"

"Bobby called. You were right. Major demon block party going on. Don't know what they're up to."

"Bobby told us you were off limits. That true?" The third hunter, Reggie asked.

"Yeah, that's right." Sam nodded.

"That's fine in theory and all, but we could really use all hands on deck here. Is Dean around? I heard he was still hunting despite being all Mr family man."

"He's not here, I know you need help, but I can't. I'm sorry."

"Look, man, what baggage is so heavy it can't be stowed away for the freaking apocalypse?"

"Like I said-"

"Yeah. You're sorry. Heard it the first time." Reggie stood up to leave.

"Suit yourself. More for us then, right?"

"Good luck." Sam also stood up.

"But hey. Beers are on you when we get back." Tim patted Sam on the shoulder as they all walked away.

"So your parents were drunk when they named you and you shoot Bambi?" Lindsey asked.

"It's a long story." Sam sighed, not wanting to get into it.

"That is it. Enough with the kung fu wandering the earth thing. I'm gonna buy you dinner and we're gonna talk."

"Lindsey, I can't-"

"No. The only way to avoid bloodshed is to say yes." She pulled him over to a table, "So...you gonna tell me who those guys back there really were? And don't say hunting buddies."

"Okay. Um. We used to be in the same business together."

"What business?"

"Lindsey-"

"Witness protection, right? From Mafia?" Sam just laughed and stared at the table, "Okay, I get it. Don't mean to pry, my bad."

"I used to be in business with my brother. Truth is I was pretty good at the job. But...I made some mistakes, I did some stuff I'm not so proud of, and people got hurt. A lot of people."

"Can't have been so bad, I mean, your brother's wife still talks to you, keeps you up to date with your niece..." Lindsey remembered the video message Sam had shown her the day before, "Oh, does she do that without your brother knowing? Have you even met your niece?"

"Yeah, it's only been 5 weeks since I seen them."

"Were they the people you hurt?"

"I don't wanna get into it." Sam ran a hand through his hair, "They weren't physically hurt, but I let them down."

"What was your poison?"

"Sorry?"

"Come on. You were hooked on something, I know the look." She pulled a medallion out of her pocket, "Three years sober."

"You work in a bar."

"So do you. Look, Keith. I don't know you and I'm the last person to be giving advice, but I do know that no one has ever done anything so bad that they can't be forgiven." Sam had to smile, sure that if Abbie was sitting across from him she would be saying the same thing.

(Maine)

"Cas wants to meet us here?" Abbie asked, sitting down at a table across from Dean in an old abandoned house. "Couldn't he have chosen like the local Ritz or something. I really don't like it here, Dean. God know what we could catch in here." She nodded to Beth, who was asleep on her lap.

"It'll be fine." Dean told her, leafing through John's journal, "Although I wish he'd hurry his ass up. Maybe I should drive you and Beth back to the motel-" He heard a flutter behind him, Castiel was there, holding a ceramic jar. "Where've you been?"

"Jerusalem."

"Oh, how was it?" Abbie asked, sarcastically.

"Arid." Castiel answered, putting the jar on the table.

"What's that?"

"It's oil. It's very special. Very rare." Castiel sat down beside Abbie.

"Okay, so we trap Raphael with a nice vinaigrette?" Dean frowned at the jar, Castiel just shook his head, "So this ritual of yours, when does it got to go down?"

"Sunrise." Castiel answered.

"Tell me something. You keep saying we're gonna trap this guy. Isn't that kinda like trapping a hurricane with a butterfly net?" Abbie questioned Castiel.

"No, it's harder."

"Do we have any chance of surviving this?" Dean asked.

"The three of you do."

"So odds are you're a dead man tomorrow."

Castiel nodded, "Well. Last night on earth. What are your plans?" Abbie asked him.

"I just thought I'd sit here quietly."

Abbie raised an eyebrow at Dean, "Come on, anything? Booze, women?"

"I think we know how you'd like to spend your last night, Dean." Abbie laughed.

"I'd spend it with my two favourite girls, and an ice cold beer." Dean defended himself, while, Castiel just looked uncomfortable. "You have been with women before. Right? Or an angel, at least?" Castiel rubbed the back of his neck, clearly not enjoying the conversation. "You mean to tell me you've never been up there doing a little cloud-seeding?" Dean was enjoying watching the angel squirm.

"Dean, quit it." Abbie scolded him, Castiel chose to answer Dean anyway.

"I've never had occasion, okay?"

"All right." Dean grabbed his jacket, "Let me tell you something. There are two things I know for certain. One, Bert and Ernie are gay."

"Dean!" Abbie exclaimed, "Beth loves those guys!"

Dean ignored Abbie, continuing to speak to Castiel, "Two, you are not gonna die a virgin. Not on my watch. Let's go."

Dean left the house, Abbie, Beth and an extremely apprehensive Castiel following.

"I don't know if this is a good idea." Castiel whispered to Abbie as they walked toward the Impala.

"Just go with it, Cas." She smirked.


	10. Chapter 10

**Hi guys**

**Thanks for all the story alerts, some reviews would be great too though! Enjoy part ten, and let me know what you think of this. More reviews, make a happier writer and quicker updates!**

**Take care, Alz**

10

Sam was wiping the bar for the night, when the door opened. "Bar's closed." Sam turned around to see who'd walked in. "Hey."

"Something you want to tell me, Sam?" It was Tim, the hunter from earlier.

"What? No."

"You sure about that?" Tim asked.

"I-I don't know-jeez. Are you okay? Where are Reggie and Steve?"

"Oh, Steve's good, he's, uh, his guts are lying roadside outside the five and dime."

"I'm sorry."

"Sorry don't cut it, Sam."

"What do you want me to say?"

"The truth." Sam remained silent, "Okay, fine. Let me give you some of my own, then. We go into town, we catch ourselves a demon, we get jumped by ten more. Steve bought it."

"I'm sorry."

"Saying it twice don't make it so, Sam. You see, this demon, he, uh, he told us things. Crazy things, things about you, Sam. I'm gonna ask you one last time. The truth. Now."

The door opened and Reggie walked in, pulling Lindsey with him.

"Lindsey!" Sam exclaimed, Reggie held a knife to her neck. Tim held up a tube of red liquid, "What is that?" Although Sam suspected he already knew.

"What do you think it is? It's go juice, Sammy boy."

"Get that away from me." Sam snarled, backing away.

"Away from you? This is for you. Hell if that demon wasn't right as rain. Down the hatch, son." Tim ordered him. "Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna drink this, Hulk out, and you're gonna waste every one of the demon scum that killed my best friend." Tim nodded to Lindsey, now handcuffed to the bar, "Or she dies."

"You wouldn't do that."

"It's funny how watching your best friend die changes that." Reggie and Tim both walked towards Sam, "Come on, you know you want it, Sam. Just reach out and take it." Reggie ran at Sam, throwing him onto the pool table, Tim joined in. They poured the blood into Sam's mouth, then held his mouth closed, forcing him to swallow. They dropped Sam down and backed away, Sam stood up. "There, was that really so bad?" Sam spit the blood at Tim and punched both him and Reggie, he slammed Tim into the bar, and grabbed Reggie's knife and held it to Tim's throat then noticed Lindsey watching in terror. He threw Tim toward Reggie.

"Go." He ordered the other hunters.

"Don't think we won't be back."

"Don't think I won't be here." Sam warned, as they left.

(Maine)

Dean sipped at his drink, Castiel looked around, terrified.

"Hey. Relax." Dean told him.

"This is a den of iniquity. I should not be here." Castiel explained, "You should not be here either. You have made a commitment to be with Abbie and her alone. I cannot believe she would let you willingly come to this place."

"She knows it's all in a good cause, I can window shop. You, however-" Castiel still looked unconfortable, "Dude, you full-on rebelled against heaven. Iniquity is one of the perks." One of the hookers walked towards them, "Showtime."

"Hi. What's your name?"

Castiel did his best to avoid eye contact, forcing Dean to answer for him, "Cas. His name is Cas. What's your name?"

"Chastity."

Castiel drank all of his beer down, "Wow. Is that kismet or what, buddy? Well, he likes you, you like him, so dayenu." Dean grinned at Castiel, as the hooker pulled him up to a standing position.

Dean stood up next to Castiel, handing him some money, "Hey, listen. Take this. If she asks for a credit card, no. Now just stick to the basics, okay? Do not order off the menu. Go get her, tiger." Castiel refused to move, "Don't make me push you." Castiel took the money and followed Chastity. Dean sat for a moment, wondering how Castiel was getting on, when he heard a scream, he went to investigate.

"Get out of my face! Leave me alone! Bastard! Screw you, jerk!" Chastity was screaming at Castiel, who just looked confused, "I'll kill you!" She stormed by Dean, turning to shout at him too, "Screw you too! God! Oh! Jerk!"

Dean walked over to Castiel, "The hell did you do?"

"I don't know. I just looked her in the eyes and told her it wasn't her fault that her father Gene ran off. It was because he hated his job at the post office."

Dean shook his head, walking toward the exit, "Oh, no, man."

"What?"

"This whole industry runs on absent fathers. It's, it's the natural order." Two doormen approached them, "We should go. Come on." They began to walk out, breaking into a sprint when the men approached.

"What's so funny?" Castiel asked, seeing Dean laughing hard.

"Oh, nothing. Whoo. It's been a long time since I've laughed that hard. It's been more than a long time. Years." Dean explained, face falling as he realised just how long.

"We should probably return to the motel, I'm sure you would like to get back to Abbie and Beth. I can say my goodbye tomorrow-"

"You're saying goodbye to no one, Cas. I ain't letting Raphael get you." Dean told him, "But if you would like to come back, we can crack open a beer, watch some TV..."

"Thank you, Dean. I think I'd prefer that to...you know?" Castiel nodded back towards the brothel, "I appreciate the thought though."

(Next morning, at the hospital.)

"Hi, I was wondering if you could tell me where the walk-in clinic is? See, it's my little girl, she's just not herself-"

"It's just down the hall, to your right." The nurse told Abbie, distracting her, letting Dean and Castiel walk into Donnie's room.

"Thank you so much." Abbie walked away, only to return to Donnie's room once the nurse was gone.

"When the oil burns, no angel can touch or pass through the flames, or he dies." Castiel had poured a ring of oil around the wheelchair.

"Okay, so we trap him in a steel cage of holy fire, but one question. How the hell do we get him here?" Dean asked.

"Very simple. There's, well, almost an open phone line between a vessel and his angel. One just has to know how to dial." Castiel leaned down to Donnie, speaking Enochian to him. "I'm here, Raphael. Come and get me, you little bastard." Abbie raised her eyebrows at Castiel.

"Just out of curiosity, what is the average customer wait time to speak to an archangel?" She asked Castiel, "It's kinda near lunch."

"Be ready." Castiel answered, setting firing the the ring of oil.

(That night)

"Well that's a day we'll never get back." Dean huffed, Raphael hadn't appeared, and now all four of them were heading back to the abandoned house from the night before.

"Why do we need to come back here?"

"It's likely Raphael won't be happy, he could destroy a motel room, draw attention to us. We don't want that. He won't harm you or Beth or Dean."

"So we didn't wait back at the motel, why?" Abbie asked.

"We don't know where he'll show up. Could've been the motel. If we're all here, we know where he's gonna be."

They walked toward the house, "Dean, wait." Castiel warned him, seeing a bright light. Donnie/Raphael was already inside, flaring with lightning in the shape of wings. Lightbulbs began to shatter.

"Stay close." Dean told Abbie, who was walking behind him.

"Castiel." Raphael greeted him.

"Raphael."

"And I thought you were supposed to be impressive. All you do is black out the room." Dean mocked Raphael.

"Dean...don't." Abbie pleaded.

"And the Eastern Seaboard." Raphael told Dean, as lightning raged outside, "It is a testament to my unending mercy that I do not smite you here and now."

"Or maybe you're full of crap. Maybe you're afraid God will bring Cas back to life again and smite you and your candy-ass skirt. By the way, hi, I'm Dean."

"I know who you are. And now, thanks to him, I know where you are. You and your whore, and your spawn."

"Hey!" Abbie yelled at Raphael.

"You won't kill him. You wouldn't dare." Castiel told Raphael.

"But I will take him to Michael." Abbie glanced at Dean, worried.

"Well then. Sounds terrifying. It does. But, uh, hate to tell you, I'm not going anywhere with you." Dean grabbed a beer from the cooler.

"Surely you remember Zachariah giving you stomach cancer?" Raphael asked him.

"Stomach cancer, Dean?" Abbie asked, neither brother had mentioned it.

"Yeah, that was, that was hilarious." Dean told him.

"Or Beth's meningitis?"

"It was an empty threat, Abbie. Just trying to make me say yes. He wouldn't dare hurt her." Dean had seen the fear in Abbie's face.

"Well, he doesn't have anything close to my imagination. Raphael continued.

"Yeah? I bet you didn't imagine one thing." Raphael looked confused for a moment, "We knew you were coming, you stupid son of a bitch." Dean dropped a match into the holy oil, igniting in a circle around Raphael, who looked furious.

"Don't look at me, it was his idea." Dean nodded to Castiel.

"Where is he?" Castiel began to question Raphael.

"God? Didn't you hear? He's dead, Castiel. Dead." Raphael answered.

"I'll take her." Dean had walked over to Abbie, reaching out for Beth.

"They threatened her?"

"Yeah." Dean whispered, feeling like the worst parent ever. "Bastard. But he doesn't know where we are, so she's safe, ok?"

"Safe." Abbie repeated, shaking her head, and walking through to the kitchen area, away from Dean and the two angels.

"But there's no other explanation. He's gone for good." Raphael continued.

"You're lying." Castiel refused to believe that God was dead.

"Am I? Do you remember the twentieth century? Think the twenty-first is going any better? Do you think God would have let any of that happen if he were alive?"

"Oh yeah? Well then who invented the Chinese basket trick?" Dean laughed, provoking Raphael.

"Careful. That's my father you're talking about, boy."

"Yeah, who would be so proud to know his sons started the frigging apocalypse."

"Who ran off and disappeared. Who left no instructions and a world to run." Raphael explained.

"Daddy ran away and disappeared. He didn't happen to work for the post office, did he?" He glanced at Castiel, who couldn't see the humour.

"This is funny to you? You're living in a godless universe."

"And? What, you and the other kids just decided to throw an apocalypse while he was gone?" Abbie walked out of the kitchen, toward Raphael. "Not quite the house party you expected, huh?"

"Abbie..." Dean was nervous about how close she was to him.

"We're tired. We just want it to be over. We just want...paradise." Raphael's face softened as he spoke to Abbie.

"So, what, God dies and makes you the boss and you decide you can do whatever you want?" She asked him, "That's not the way it goes."

"Yes. And whatever we want, we get." The wind howled outside, and the windows burst in.

"If God is dead, why have I returned? Who brought me back?" Castiel also walked towards Raphael.

"Did it ever occur to you that maybe Lucifer raised you?" Raphael asked Castiel, who remained silent, watched closely by both Winchesters. "Think about it. He needs all the rebellious angels he can find. You know it adds up."

"Stop." Abbie told Raphael, seeing Castiel's horror at the thought of being brought back by his fallen brother.

"Let's go." Castiel turned his back on Raphael, walking towards Dean, Abbie following.

"Castiel, I'm warning you. Do not leave me here. I will find you."

Castiel turned back to Raphael, "Maybe one day. But today, you're my little bitch." Castiel walked out, Abbie followed.

Dean turned around, "What he said. Wave bye bye to the nasty angel Beth." Beth did as Dean asked, waving a chubby hand at an enraged Raphael.

(On the road)

Dean was driving, Abbie was riding shotgun, while Castiel sat in the back beside Beth.

"You okay?" Dean asked, Castiel didn't answer, "Look, I'll be the first to tell you that this little crusade of yours is nuts, but I do know a little something about missing fathers."

"What do you mean?" Castiel asked, while Abbie just stared at Dean.

"I mean every time I was looking for my dad when all logic said that he was dead, but I knew in my heart he was still alive. Who cares what some ninja turtle says, Cas, what do you believe?"

"I believe he's out there."

"Good. Go find him."

"What about you?" Abbie asked, cautiously.

"What about me? I don't know. Honestly, I'm good. I can't believe I'm saying that, but I am, I'm really good."

"Even without your brother?" Castiel pressed him.

"Especially without my brother."

"Dean..."

" I mean, I spent so much time worrying about the son of a bitch. I mean, I've had more fun with you in the past twenty-four hours than I've had with Sam in years, and you're not that much fun. It's funny, you know, I've been so chained to him...our broken little family. Now I don't need to worry about him, now I have my own family, hell, I'm happy."

"You keep telling yourself that, I know you miss him." Abbie told him.

"Miss his mixing it up with demons, always thinking he knows best, always being the smart one..."

"Yeah, all those things." Abbie told him sadly, "I know you love Beth and I, that we're your family. Sam is too, don't forget that."

Dean looked in the mirror to see Cas's reaction, but he'd disappeared.

"Let's just find a motel, huh?" Dean suggested, to which Abbie nodded, turning the radio down so that she could sleep.

(Sam's motel room)

Sam was asleep, when he heard a familiar voice talk to him, "Sam. Sam." It was Jess. He woke up to see her sitting beside him. "So. This is your life now? Think you can just live forever with your head buried in the sand?"

"I love you, Jess." He turned away, "God knows how much I miss you, too. But you're wrong. People can change. There is reason for hope."

"No, Sam. There isn't." All of a sudden, Jess changed into a man, the man from Abbie's dream, Lucifer.

"How can you be so sure?"

"Because you freed me." Sam stood up and backed away. "That's right. You know who I am."

"Lucifer."

"You are a hard one to find, Sam. Harder than most humans. I don't suppose you'd tell me where you are? I already asked Abbie, but she was too stubborn to tell me."

"What do you want with me?"

"Thanks to you, I walk the earth. I want to give you a gift. I want to give you everything."

"I don't want anything from you. You stay away from me, you stay away from the rest of my family. You're out, isn't that enough."

"I'm so sorry, Sam, I, I really am, but Nick here is just an improvisation. Plan B. He can barely contain me without spontaneously combusting."

"What are you talking about?"

"Why do you think you were in that chapel? You're the one, Sam. You're my vessel. My true vessel."

"No." Sam protested.

"Yes."

"No. That'll never happen."

"I'm sorry, but it will. I will find you. And when I do, you will let me in. I'm sure of it."

"You need my consent."

"Of course. I'm an angel." Lucifer nodded, the kid knew the rules.

"I will kill myself before letting you in."

"I'll just bring you back." Lucifer sighed, Sam Winchester was stubborn, "Sam. My heart breaks for you. The weight on your shoulders, what you've done, what you still have to do. It is more than anyone could bear. If there was some other way...but there isn't. I will never lie to you. I will never trick you. But you will say yes to me."

"You're wrong."

"I'm not. I think I know you better than you know yourself."

"Why me?"

"Because it had to be you, Sam. It always had to be you." Lucifer disappeared. Sam sat, taking it all in, then decided to call someone.


	11. Chapter 11

11

(On the way back from Maine)

"K, we'll get a room, see if Beth's gonna sleep, and I'll call Cas." Dean was telling Abbie as they pulled into the motel. "Then we are gonna sleep."

"Sleep?" Abbie yawned, "Sounds amazing. I feel like crap." She grabbed her bag and a grumpy Beth, who had a bad cold. "Told you we'd catch something in that old house. You got Beth's cough medicine? Vapor rub?"

"In my bag." Dean answered, walking into the motel.

"Excuse me, friend, but have you taken time out to think about God's plan for you?" A man standing on the steps to the motel asked him, while trying to hand him a pamphlet.

"Too friggin' much, pal." Dean told him, walking by and into the motel. "Now Beth, how about you take your medicine without putting up the fight you did last night, huh? It's gonna make you feel better, I promise." Dean tried bargaining with his daughter, smiling when she calmed enough to take her medicine. "That's my girl." He paced around with her, until she eventually fell asleep. "Give your momma and me a break, huh?" He looked over at the bed, seeing Abbie already passed out, exhausted, and placed Beth beside her, while he tried to phone Castiel. "Cas?"

"I have news, I may know someone who can locate the Colt."

"We're talking about the Colt, right? I mean, as in _the_ Colt?"

"We are." Castiel confirmed. "Demons have it."

"Well, that doesn't make any sense. I mean, why would the demons keep a gun around that, uh, kills demons?" Dean asked, hearing lots of noise in the background.

"What? What? Did-I didn't-I didn't get that."

Dean couldn't help but laugh, "You know, it's kind of funny. Talking to a messenger of God on a cellphone. It's, you know, like watching a Hell's Angel ride a moped."

"This isn't funny, Dean. The voice says I'm almost out of minutes."

"Okay, all right. I'm-I'm telling you, Cas, the mooks have melted down the gun by now."

"Well, I hear differently. And if it's true and if you are still set on the insane task of killing the devil, this is how we do it." Castiel told him.

"Okay. Where do we start?"

"Where are you now?" Castiel asked.

"Kansas City." Dean leaned over to the table and looked at his room key, "Century Hotel, room 113."

"I'll be there immediately."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. No, no, come on, man. We just drove all night, okay? Beth's got a hell of a cold, Abbie's got some sorta bug. We're human. And there's stuff I got to do."

"What stuff?"

"Eat, for example. Look after Beth so Abbie can grab some sleep. Then try and sleep some myself. I just need like four hours once in a while, okay?"

"Yes." Castiel didn't need to sleep, but understood his human charges were somewhat different.

"Okay, so, you can pop in tomorrow morning." Dean told him.

"Yes. I'll just-" Dean hung up, leaving Castiel with only a dial tone, "-wait here, then." Castiel continued his wait at the side of the road.

Dean had just gotten Beth back to sleep, Abbie had just dozed off again after another bout of vomiting, when the phone rang. "Dammit, Cas. Is a couple of hours too much to ask?" Dean cursed, grabbing the phone, hoping that Abbie and Beth would sleep through. He answered the phone, "Dammit, Cas, I need to sleep!"

"Dean, it's me." It was Sam.

"Sam? It's quarter past four." Dean told him, ready to hang up.

"This is important."

"No point trying to sleep." Dean mumbled, grabbing a beer from the fridge, "Shoot."

"Lucifer told me I'm his vessel."

Dean wasn't so shocked, given Abbie's dream. "So, you're his vessel, huh? Lucifer's wearing you to the prom?"

"That's what he said."

"Just when you thought you were out, they pull you back in, huh, Sammy?" Dean tried to make light of it.

"So, that's it? That's your response?"

"What are you looking for?" Dean sighed, he was tired, too tired for this.

"I don't know. A-a little panic? Maybe?"

"I guess I'm a little numb to the earth-shattering revelations at this point."

"What are we gonna do about it?"Sam asked.

"What do you want to do about it?"

"I want back in, for starters. I mean, you and Abbie hunting with Beth, it's not really ideal is it?"

"Sam-"

"I mean it. I am sick of being a puppet to these sons of bitches. I'm gonna hunt him down, Dean."

"Oh, so, we're back to revenge, then, are we? Yeah, 'cause that worked out so well last time." Dean snapped back.

"Not revenge. Redemption." Sam clarified.

"So, what, you're just gonna walk back in and we're gonna be the dynamic duo again?"

"Look, Dean, I can do this. I can. I'm gonna prove it to you." Sam promised.

"Look, Sam, it doesn't matter, whatever we do. I mean, it turns out that you and me, we're the, uh, the fire and the oil of the Armageddon. You know, on that basis alone, we should just pick a hemisphere. Stay away from each other for good."

"Dean, it does not have to be like this. We can fight it."

"Yeah, you're right. We can. But not together. We're not stronger when we're together, Sam. I think we're weaker. Because whatever we have between us, love, family, whatever it is, they are always gonna use it against us. And you know that. Yeah, we're better off apart. We got a better chance of dodging Lucifer and Michael and this whole damn thing, if we just go our own ways."

"Dean, don't do this." Sam begged.

"Bye, Sam." Dean hung up, and walked over to check on Beth again. On seeing she was asleep, and Abbie also asleep, he decided to try and grab some rest himself.

(Next morning)

"Feeling bad, huh?" Abbie asked Beth, picking her out of her crib, she was still snuffling and too warm for her liking. "Let's check that temperature." She pulled out her thermometer. "101. Not good Beth." She sighed, "Once Daddy's outta the bathroom, we're gonna take a trip to the clinic I think." She hit on the door, "Dean! Move it!" There was no answer, "Dean?" She looked around, the had definitely woken up with no Dean beside her. Normally he would leave a note if he was going out for breakfast. "Dean, you in there?" No answer, she pushed the door open, the bathroom was empty. Beth began to cough violently, struggling for air. "Dammit." She looked for Dean's jacket, to find the keys to the Impala, but couldn't find it. "Cas, Cas can help. Hold on Beth!" She pulled out her cell phone, relieved when Beth's breathing improved. "Hello? Cas?"

"Abbie. It's not been four hours, I was told by Dean not to come to you until four hours have passed."

"Four hours?"

"It has been 3 hours 54 minutes." Castiel informed her.

"I need you now, Cas. Dean's missing. Beth's ill. I don't have car keys to take Beth to the hospital. Please Cas."

"I'll be there immediately." Cas was beside her instantly.

"Cas, thank god." Abbie hugged him tight. "I dunno where he is. I woke up and he was gone. The Impala's there, but Dean's left with the keys, and he didn't leave a note. His bags are all here. I'm really worried Cas."

"I'm sure wherever he is, he's fine. The other angels wouldn't let any harm come to him."

"Even Lucifer?" Abbie asked, Castiel remained silent. "Thought so."

"What is wrong with Beth?" Castiel enquired, seeing her cough again, then cry, then both at the same time.

"I think it's a bad cold, maybe she caught it at that old house." Abbie explained.

"You are also ill." Castiel stated, noticing that she seemed pale.

"It's been a rough day and night with Beth is all."

"It's more than that." Castiel appeared to be scrutinising her.

"I'm fine, Cas. It's Beth I'm worried about. She's got a fever, her breathing's not great-"

"May I try something? I know you don't like me transporting her-"

"Please Cas, if it'll help." She handed Beth to him. He walked through to the bathroom, turning on the shower until steam filled the small room. "Cas?"

"I remember, or rather, Jimmy, remembers doing this for Clair when she was young." Castiel explained, "It appears to be helping her."

"Thank God." Abbie whispered, seeing Beth breathe more easier, to the point where she was almost asleep. "Now if only we could find Dean."

"I feel he is not in danger." Castiel explained, "Although I do not know his exact location. Have you called his cell?"

"It's still here, almost as if he just vanished into thin air, Cas." Abbie could feel tears stream down her face.

"Rest some." Castiel instructed her, "Beth is already almost well. I'll watch over her."

"But, Dean-" Castiel placed two fingers to her forehead, putting her into a deep sleep.

(2014)

Dean woke up, lying on what he remembered being a comfortable bed. It was now merely springs and his room was trashed. There was no Abbie, no Beth, no portable crib. "What the hell? Abbie? Beth?" He looked out of the window, the city below was trashed, much like his room. It was clear to him he was alone, and a long way from home. Dean decided to go outside and explore. The city was devastated, broken and ruined. Dean heard a noise, glass smashing, and decided to was a girl in the alley, maybe about 7, Dean approached her. "Little girl? Little girl?" She didn't answer him, "Are you hurt? You know the not-talking thing is kind of creepy, right?" He noticed blood on her, she shrieked at him, and attacked him with a shard of glass, he punched her unconscious, then noticed the graffiti reading 'Croatoan'. "Oh crap." Dean mumbled to himself, as several people, probably infected with the Croatoan virus, appeared Dean ran away from them, just as soldiers on tanks arrived and started shooting the infected people. Dean reached a chain link fence, and read the sign on it. 'Croatoan Virus Hot Zone, No Entry by order of Acting Regional Command, August 1, 2014. Kansas City'. "August 1st, 2014?" Dean asked himself. Dean managed, in the chaos to hot wire a car he had found, and drove along the road. There was nothing but static on the radio. "That's never a good sign."

""Croatoan pandemic reaches Australia."" Zachariah had appeared beside him, reading aloud from a newspaper.

"I thought I smelled your stink on this _Back to the Future_ crap."

""President Palin defends bombing of Houston." Certainly a buyer's market in real estate. Let's see what's happening in sports. That's right—no more sports. Congress revoked the right to group assembly. What's left of Congress, that is. Hardly a quorum,if you ask me." Zachariah continued.

"How did you find me?"

"Afraid we had to tap some unorthodox resources of late—human informants. We've been making inspirational visits to the fringier Christian groups. They've been given your image, told to keep an eye out."

"The Bible freak outside the motel—he, what, dropped a dime on me?" Dean asked, fuming. If Zachariah knew where Dean was, he knew where Abbie and Beth were.

"Onward, Christian soldiers."

"Okay, well, good, great. You have had your jollies. Now send me back, you son of a bitch." Dean demanded.

"Oh, you'll get back—all in good time. We want you to marinate a bit." Dean just frowned at him, "Three days, Dean. Three days to see where this course of action takes you."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means that your choices have consequences. This is what happens to the world if you continue to say "no" to Michael. Have a little look-see." Zachariah explained, then vanished, leaving Dean driving on a familiar road.

(Bobby's House – 2014)

"Bobby? Bobby, I'm coming in!" Dean looked around, Bobby's place was abandoned. "Oh, no." Bobby's wheelchair lay on it's side, bullet holes in the back, dried blood. "Where is everybody, Bobby?" He picked up a picture, it was Bobby with Castiel and some others than Dean didn't recognise, holding a sign, "Camp Chitaqua."

(Outside Camp Chitaqua)

Dean drove until he recognised the sign from the picture, he got out of the car, seeing a familiar sight, it was the Impala. Smashed. Rusty. "Oh, baby, no." He walked over, and peered inside the driver's door. "Oh, no, baby, what did they do to you?" Dean was all of a sudden knocked out, and his limp body dragged away.

(Inside the camp)

Dean woke up, handcuffed to a ladder, frowning and shaking his head when he seen himself across the room, cleaning a gun. "What the-?"

"I should be asking that question, don't you think? In fact, why don't you give me one good reason why I shouldn't gank you right here and now?" Older Dean asked.

"Because you'd only be hurting yourself." Dean answered, cockily.

"Very funny." The older Dean snarked.

"Look, man-I'm no shapeshifter or demon or anything, okay?"

"Yeah, I know. I did the drill while you were out. Silver, salt, holy water-nothing. But you know what was funny? Was that you had every hidden lockpick, box cutter, and switchblade that I carry. Now, you want to explain that? Oh, and the, uh, resemblance, while you're at it?"

"Zachariah."

The older Dean stood up, "Come again?"

"I'm you from April 2009. Zach plucked me from my bed and threw me five years into the future."

"Where is he? I want to talk to him."

"I don't know. Look, I just want to get back to my own friggin' year, okay?"

"Okay. If you're me, then tell me something only I would know." Older Dean told him.

Dean thought for a moment, then smirked. "Rhonda Hurley. We were, uh, nineteen. She made us try on her panties. They were pink. And satiny. And you know what? We kind of liked it."

"Touché. So, what, Zach zapped you up here to see how bad it gets?"

"I guess. Croatoan virus, right? That's their endgame?"

"It's efficient, it's incurable, and it's scary as hell. Turns people into monsters. Started hitting the major cities about two years ago. World really went in the crapper after that."

"What about Sam?"

"Heavyweight showdown in Detroit. From what I understand, Sam didn't make it." Older Dean explained.

"You weren't with him?"

"No. No, me and Sam, we haven't talked in—hell, five years."

"We never tried to find him?"

"I got other people to worry about." Older Dean told him.

"Daddy?" A little voice asked.

"Beth?" Dean asked, "Is that Beth?" He asked Older Dean.

"Daddy, who's that?" The voice got closer, it wasn't Beth, but a young boy, maybe about 4 years old.

"What you doing down here, tiger?" Older Dean asked the boy. "Uncle Chuck's supposed to be looking after you." The boy started to cough, slightly out of breath. "You ran down here, didn't you?" The boy nodded, "R.J, where's your puffer?"

"It's finished." RJ explained.

"Dammit, RJ, you know you're supposed to tell Daddy when it's nearly finished so I can arrange a drug store raid for more. Go tell Uncle Chuck to try and find you one, and that we need a raid."

"Yes sir." RJ mumbled, walking back out of the door.

"And RJ?" RJ turned to face his father, "You don't tell anyone what you saw down here, we clear on that?"

"Yes sir."

"Damn kid." Older Dean sighed.

"He's yours? Ours?" Dean asked him. "We've got a son."

"Two actually, twins." Older Dean explained. "RJ and Noah."

"Boys." Dean grinned. "He called you Sir..." Dean sighed, he'd swore any kid of his would never call him Sir. Wouldn't be a little soldier.

"You think a post apocalyptic war zone's a good place to raise a kid?" Older Dean asked, "You think it's cool that of my three kids, I only managed to keep one with me, keep one safe? At that, he's sick, has bad asthma, and we're running out of supplies!"

"What happened?" Dean asked, "Where's Abbie and Beth, and uhhh Noah?"

"I'm not getting into this, not right now." Older Dean moved towards the door.

"Where are you going?"

"I got to run an errand."

"Whoa. you're just gonna leave me here?"

"Yes. I got a camp full of twitchy trauma survivors out there with an apocalypse hanging over their head. The last thing they need to see is a version of _The Parent Trap_. So, yeah, you stay locked down."

"Okay. all right. Fine. But you don't have to cuff me, man. Oh, come on. You don't trust yourself?"

"No. Absolutely not." Older Dean told him, then left.

"Dick." Dean mumbled, looking around for something to remove his handcuffs.


	12. Chapter 12

12

Dean managed to free himself from the handcuffs, and wandered outside. He could see Chuck approach him, "Hey, Dean. You got a second?"

"No - yes. Uh, I - I guess. Hi, Chuck."

"Hi. So, uh, listen, we're pretty good on canned goods for now, but we're down to next to nothing on perishables and - and hygiene supplies. People are not gonna be happy about this. Umm, I realise that RJ's puffer's finished, I found one for him for just now, but we should really hold off on the drug store raid, I think, until we can replenish perishables. So, what do you think we should do?"

"I-I don't know. Maybe, uh, share? You know, like at a kibbutz. I mean, if RJ's sorted, then maybe we can down down grade the urgency on the drug store?"

"Downgrade the drug- Wait a minute, aren't you supposed to be out on a mission right now?"

"Absolutely. And I will be." Dean answered, "You seen RJ?"

"Umm, he's back at my cabin. Unless he's looking for you again." Chuck looked up, seeing someone walking towards them, "Uh-oh."

A woman came up to Dean, and tried to hit him, "Whoa! Jeez! Easy, lady!" Dean ducked and hid behind a nervous Chuck.

"Risa." Chuck explained to Dean.

"Risa?" Dean repeated.

"You spent the night in Jane's cabin last night, didn't you?" Risa asked him, furious.

"Uh, what? I-I don't-did I?" Dean asked Chuck, who merely nodded.

"I thought we had a 'connection'."

"I dunno about you, but I've got a wife-" Chuck shook his head in warning at Dean.

"Back to the grieving widower?" Risa asked, "I'm not falling for the 'I'm grieving, comfort me!' trick again."

"Hi, Risa." Chuck smiled at her.

"Screw you." Risa snarled at him, storming away.

"Oh, jeez. I'm getting busted for stuff I haven't even done yet." Dean mumbled, forgetting for a second that it wasn't _**his **_Chuck.

"What?" Chuck asked, confused.

"Uh, never mind. Hey, Chuck, is...Cas still here?"

"Yeah. I don't think Cas is going anywhere." Chuck nodded to another cabin, Dean walked towards and walked into it, shocked by the sight of what he seen. Castiel was sitting in a circle with several women, and was he stoned?

"So, in this way. We're each a fragment of total perception-just, uh, one compartment in that dragonfly eye of group mind. Now, the key to this total, shared perception-it's, um, it's surprisingly physical." The Older Castiel spied Dean, "Oh. Excuse me, ladies. I think I need to confer with our fearless leader for a minute. Why not go get washed up for the orgy?" The women all stood up and left, "You're all so beautiful." Castiel stood and stretched, unaware of Dean's confusion.

"What are you, a hippie?"

"I thought you'd gotten over trying to label me."

"Cas, we got to talk."

"Whoa. Strange. You...are not you. Not now you, anyway."

"No! Yeah. Yes, exactly." Dean was glad someone understood.

"What year are you from?"

"2009."

"Who did this to you? Is it Zachariah?" Dean nodded, "Interesting."

"Oh, yeah, it's friggin' fascinating. Now. Why don't you strap on your angel wings and fly me back to my page on the calendar?"

"I wish I could just, uh, strap on my wings, but I'm sorry, no dice."

"What, are you stoned?"

Castiel let out a small laugh, "Uh, generally, yeah."

"What happened to you?" Dean asked, Castiel was human, and not just that, a drugged out human.

"Life." Castiel answered.

"What the hell happened, Cas? I have three kids now? I'm a widower? Where the hell's my wife and daughter?"

"That's a good question..." Castiel appeared to be thinking deeply.

"Cas, please. Tell me Abbie's not dead. Beth-"

"They're not dead." Castiel told him, "See, as I'm now human, I find it quite easy to lie."

Dean sunk to the floor, heart broken. "What happened to them? How can I stop it? I can't lose them, Cas, don't make me lose them." Dean begged.

"Beth, was the virus. Abbie, childbirth."

"And, and the twins? RJ and Noah?"

"The boys..." Cas smiled, "Have you met little RJ? He's such a sweet little boy, surprising considering what he's being brought up in. Smart little thing. Shame about the whole asthma thing, it's nearly been curtains for him a few times."

"How did this happen?"

"Well, you and Abbie, you know..." Castiel explained, "Then 9 months later...well 7 actually because the boys were super eager to be born..."

"I think I get the biology, Cas." Dean sighed, "Seven months?"

"Totally premature. Abbie got one hell of a shock one day, you weren't around, I got her to a hospital, but you know, too late and all. Kids were already busting out. Was touch and go with RJ, he was the weaker of the two."

"But he's ok, what about Abbie?"

"Blood loss. The doctors tried, but you know. Can't save everyone."

"Abbie." Dean whispered, grieving. "When I get back to 2009, we are not having any more kids. I mean, no more kids, means no premature labour, no blood loss."

"Too late." Castiel told him, "There's a reason she's worshipping the porcelain God." Castiel looked pleased with himself, "Get it, she's puking therefore-"

"I get it, Cas." Dean ran a hand through his hair, "I'm not gonna let this happen."

"You already did." Cas pointed out, then looked up, "Ooh, mission's back." Dean looked out of the window, seeing the mission return.

A car and a jeep stopped outside, and Older Dean and some soldiers jumped out. Older Dean grabbed two beers and threw one to one of the soldiers. "Daddy!" RJ ran out of Chuck's cabin, having seen him return. Without warning, Older Dean drew his gun and pointed it at the soldier he was drinking with.

"Hey. Hey! Watch out!" Dean yelled towards them, grabbing RJ and shielding him from seeing Older Dean shooting the soldier. Everyone just stared at the two Deans. "It's ok." Dean whispered to Older Dean's son.

"Dammit!" Older Dean snarled, and then began to speak to the soldiers, "I'm not gonna lie to you. Me and him-it's a pretty messed-up situation we got going. But believe me, when you need to know something, you will know it. Until then, we all have work to do." He pulled Dean, who was still holding RJ along behind him, into a room, and shut the door. "What the hell was that?" He yelled.

"What the hell was that? You just shot a guy in cold blood, in front of your son!"

"We were in an open quarantine zone. Got ambushed by some Croats on the way out." Dean just looked at him confused, "Croats. Croatoans. One of them infected Yeager."

"How do you know?"

"'Cause after a few years of this, I know. I started seeing symptoms about a half an hour ago. Wasn't gonna be long before he flipped. I didn't see the point in troubling a good man with bad news."

"'Troubling a good man'? You just blew him away in front of your own people, including a little four year old boy! Don't you think that freaked them out a little bit?

"It's 2014. Plugging some Croat, it's called commonplace. Trading words with my friggin' clone-that might have freaked them out a little." Older Dean snapped, "RJ, go find Uncle Chuck, ok? Me and this guy have some talking to do."

"But-" RJ started.

"Dammit RJ, that's an order!"

"Hey, don't say that to him." Dean stood up for his future son. "All right, look-"

"No, you look. He isn't your son, he's mine. This isn't your time. It's mine. You don't make the decisions. I do. So, when I say stay in, you stay in." He looked back towards RJ, torn between the two men. "You sit over there and read your book, k RJ?"

"Yeah." The boy answered, moving to the corner, and picking up a tattered children's book.

"All right, man. I'm sorry. Look, I-I'm not trying to mess you-me-us up here." Dean told Older Dean.

"I know." Older Dean poured two glasses of what looked like whiskey.

"It's just been a really wacky weekend." Dean offered as an explanation.

"Tell me about it." They both drank down the drink.

"What was the mission, anyway?" Older Dean produced a gun, it was the Colt. "The Colt?"

"The Colt." Older Dean confirmed, looking at it with admiration.

"Where was it?"

"Everywhere. They've been moving it around. Took me five years, but...I finally got it. And tonight-tonight, I'm gonna kill the devil." He announced, "I need to get a team together, can I trust you to stay put?"

"Sure." Dean nodded, watching as Older Dean walked out with the gun. He sat in silence, just looking around, until he remembered RJ sitting in the corner. RJ was watching him intensely. "You wanna come sit with me, buddy?" RJ looked unsure for a second, then moved towards Dean. "Hey there." Dean smiled at him, "What's your book?" RJ just shrugged, "Can I see it?" RJ held the book out to him, Dean noticed that the little boy now wore a pair of glasses. "Wow, this is a great book. Babar the Elephant, I remember when my mom used to read this to me."

"I don't have a mommy." RJ looked up at him. "She's dead."

"Uncle Cas told me about that." Dean nodded sadly.

"Who are you? You look like my Daddy, but there's something...different." He frowned at Dean, inspecting him, "Did you know my mommy?"

"I'm a friend of Daddy's, I'm Dean." Dean answered. "And yeah, I-uh-knew your mommy."

"What was she like?"

"C'mon up here and I'll tell you all about her." RJ scrambled up onto Dean's knee. "Your mom, was very special, RJ. What does RJ stand for anyway?"

"Robert John, Daddy said they were my two Grandpas. But you were talking about mommy." RJ reminded him.

"I was, wasn't I?" Dean tried to continue, but found tears welling in his eyes, "Your Daddy loved your mommy, very much. Doesn't he tell you all about her?"

"Nope, Uncle Cas says that he doesn't talk about her 'cause it hurts him too much."

"Uncle Cas tells you about Mommy?"

"Sometimes, if I say or do something, he'll say I'm just like Abbie. That was her name. Sometimes, he'll say I remind him of Beth. I think she was mommy's too."

"She was, she was your big sister."

"She's dead too." RJ explained, "I don't remember her much, or Mommy."

"RJ, what happened to Noah?"

"He's with my Uncle Sam. That's Daddy's little brother, just like I'm Noah's little brother." RJ told him needlessly.

"Why is he with Uncle Sam, RJ? Why isn't he here with Daddy and you?"

"'cause, we're not allowed to see each other, we're the vessels and we need to be able to do what needs to be done." RJ told him, as horror crept into Dean.

"You're the what, RJ?"

"Vessels." RJ told him, clearly not understanding. "After Beth went away, well Daddy got real angry, and he was shouting on someone called Michael, but Michael didn't listen to him. Then this other guy Zac, he told Daddy he'd take Noah to Uncle Sam, until it was time." Dean found his throat drying up, "Tell me more about Mommy."

"Well, she had long hair, but it was dark, like Uncle Cas, and she had blue eyes too. I remember, one time, someone thought she and Uncle Cas were brother and sister. She was the prettiest girl your daddy had ever seen. She lived with Daddy and Uncle Sam and Grandpa Bobby, not far from here actually. She used to always laugh at Daddy's music in the Impala, loved to read lots of books. I'm pretty sure she read to Beth whenever she could. And when Daddy was gone for a day or so, she'd always call him to say good night, make sure he was ok." Dean felt a tear run down his cheek, "Did you ever seen a picture of her?" RJ shook his head, "You wanna see?" RJ nodded, looking up at Dean with hopeful eyes. Dean pulled out his wallet, a picture was there from Beth's first Christmas, "See, that's your mom, Beth and Daddy."

"Daddy looks happy." RJ observed, "He doesn't smile like that any more." He told Dean, sadly. Dean could only nod, he couldn't imagine ever feeling happy if he'd lost Abbie and Beth, he even felt himself mourn for the future of his, as yet, unborn sons. Fated to take his place, because they were Winchesters. "Dean?" RJ pulled him from his thoughts, "Can you read with me?"

"Uhh sure." He opened the book and began to read aloud to RJ. Once RJ had fallen asleep on Dean's lap, he carefully lifted him and carried him outside, meeting Chuck on the way. "Where does the little dude live?"

"Oh, I've got him tonight, Dean, or rather the other Dean, is off on a mission tonight, my cabin's just over here." Chuck led him into a cabin, Dean placed RJ down on the bed. "You take good care of him, you hear me?"

"I hear ya." Chuck answered, putting a blanket over RJ.

"Speaking of the other Dean, where is he?"

"Oh, ummm, he's through there. Told me to tell you that 'when you show up out here, despite being told to stay put, come join us for a strategy meeting.'"

"K, thanks Chuck." Dean headed into the room Chuck had indicated, joining the meeting.

"So, that's it? That's the Colt?" Risa was asking Older Dean.

"If anything can kill Lucifer, this is it."

"Great. Have we got anything that can _find_ Lucifer?" She sniped at him.

"Are you okay?" Older Dean couldn't understand why she seemed so off with him.

"Oh, we were in, uh, Jane's cabin last night. And, apparently, we and...Risa have a connection."

"You want to shut up?" Older Dean told him. Dean just smirked and raised his hands in surrender, "We don't have to find Lucifer. We know where he is. The demon that we caught last week, he was one of the big guy's entourage. He knew."

"So, a demon tells you where Satan's gonna be, and you just believe it?"

"Oh, trust me, he wasn't lying."

"And you know this how?"

"Our fearless leader, I'm afraid, is all too well schooled in the art of getting to the truth." Castiel supplied.

"Torture? Oh, so, we're-we're torturing again." Dean asked Older Dean, receiving a glare, "No, that's-that's good. Classy." Castiel chose this moment to laugh, Older Dean glared at him also.

"What? I like past you." Castiel snorted.

"Lucifer is here. Now. I know the block and I know the building." Older Dean pointed at a map.

"Oh, good-it's right in the middle of a hot zone." Castiel had certainly mastered the art of sarcasm in the past five years, Dean wondered if he'd been the former angel's teacher.

"Crawling with Croats, yeah. You saying my plan is reckless?"

"Are you saying we, uh, walk in straight up the driveway, past all the demons and the Croats, and we shoot the devil?" Castiel continued, obviously enjoying the plan.

"Yes."

"Okay, if you don't like, uh, 'reckless', I could use 'insouciant', maybe." Castiel offered.

"Are you coming?" Older Dean asked Castiel.

Castiel sighed, "Of course. But why is he?" Castiel pointed to Dean. "I mean, he's you five years ago. If something happens to him, you're gone, right?"

"He's coming." Older Dean told Castiel.

"Okay. Well, uh. I'll get the grunts moving." Castiel stood up and walked away from the table.

"We're loaded and on the road by midnight." Older Dean ordered.

"All righty." Castiel grinned, as he and Risa left.

"Why are you taking me?" Dean asked.

"Relax. You'll be fine. Zach's looking after you, right?"

"No, that's not what I mean. I want to know what's going on."

"Yeah, okay. You're coming because I want you to see something. I want you to see our brother." Older Dean explained. "See our other son."

"You knew where Sam and Noah were? Is Lucifer still on their ass?"

"Not so much, since Sam said yes. That's right. The big 'yes'. To the devil. Lucifer's wearing him, and planning the same for Noah."

"Why would Sam do that?"

"Think he thought he could protect the boys, _**you**_ had other plans though. But now we don't have a choice. It's in him, and it's not getting out. And we've got to kill him, or make our boys kill each other. Dean. And you need to see it-the whole damn thing, how bad it gets-so you can do it different."

"What do you mean?"

"Zach said he was gonna bring you back, right? To 2009?Well, when you get back home-you say 'yes'. You hear me? Say 'yes' to Michael."

"That's crazy. If I let him in, then Michael fights the devil. The battle's gonna torch half the planet." Dean protested.

"Look around you, man. Half the planet's better than no planet, which is what we have now. If I could do it over again, I'd say 'yes' in a heartbeat."

"So why don't you?"

"I've tried! I've shouted 'yes' till I was blue in the face! The angels aren't listening! They just-left-gave up! It's too late for me, but for you-" Older Dean explained, confirming what RJ said.

"Oh, no. There's got to be another way. I can't kill Sam, I can't let our boys kill each other."

"Yeah, that's what I thought. I was cocky. Funny how losing your wife and daughter changes your perspective. Never actually thought I'd lose. But I was wrong. Dean. I was wrong. I'm begging you. Say yes." Older Dean paused, "But you won't. 'Cause I didn't. Because that's just not us, is it?"


	13. Chapter 13

13

Dean was hanging around camp, waiting for the others when Chuck walked up to him, "So, you're really from 2009?"

"Yeah, afraid so." Dean told him, "How's RJ?"

"Oh he's sleeping." Chuck answered, "Some free advice? You ever get back there, you hoard toilet paper. You understand me? Hoard it. Hoard it like it's made of gold. 'Cause it is."

"Thank you, Chuck." Dean laughed.

"Oh, you'll thank me, all right. Mark my words."

"I'll see you around." Dean noticed the team for the mission had assembled.

"Yeah. Okay." Chuck told him, as Dean got into one of the vehicles and drove off.

Dean was riding along with Castiel, when he noticed Castiel, who was driving, taking some pills. "Let me see those."

"You want some?" Castiel offered.

"Amphetamines?"

"It's the perfect antidote to that absinthe." Castiel explained, as if Absinthe and amphetamines were the most normal things to snack on.

"Mmm. Don't get me wrong, Cas. I, uh. I'm happy that the stick is out of your ass, but-what's going on-w-with the drugs and the orgies and the love-guru crap?" Castiel laughed at this, "What's so funny?"

"Dean, I'm not an angel anymore."

"What?"

"Yeah, I went mortal."

"What do you mean? How?"

"I think it had something to do with the other angels leaving. But when they bailed, my mojo just kind of— psshhew!—drained away. And now, you know, I'm practically human. I mean, Dean, I'm all but useless. Last year, broke my foot, laid up for two months." Castiel shook his head at how little Dean knew. "Yeah."

"So, you're human. Well, welcome to the club." Dean told him.

Castiel shook his head, "Thanks. Except I used to belong to a much better club. And now I'm powerless. I'm hapless, I'm hopeless. I mean, why the hell not bury myself in women and decadence, right? It's the end, baby. That's what decadence is for. Why not bang a few gongs before the lights go out? But then that's, that's just how I roll."

"How you roll?" Dean repeated, as they arrived at the Hot Zone. They joined the others, and soon started formulating a plan of action.

"There. Second-floor window. We go in there." Older Dean told the others. ""They'll never see us coming. Trust me. Now, weapons check. We're on the move in five." Dean watched the Older Dean carefully, scrutinising him.

"Hey, uh, me. Can I talk to you for a sec?" He asked him, Older Dean walked over to him, and they moved away from the rest of the group for some privacy. "Tell me what's going on." The Older Dean feigned confusion, "I know you. You're lying to these people and to me."

"Is that so?" Older Dean knew he had been caught.

"Yeah. See, I know your lying expressions. I've seen them in the mirror. Now, there's something you're not telling us." Older Dean didn't answer, "Well, I don't seem to be the only member of your posse with some questions, so, uh, maybe I'll just take my doubts over to them." He moved towards the group.

"Okay, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait." Older Dean grabbed him back. "Take a look around you, man. This place should be white-hot with Croats. Where are they?"

"They cleared a path for us. Which means that this is-" Dean suddenly realised.

"A trap. Exactly." Older Dean finished.

"Well, then we can't go through the front." Dean told him, trying to figure out another way.

"Oh, we're not. They are. They're the decoys. You and me, we're going in through the back." Older Dean explained, horrifying Dean.

"You mean you're gonna feed your friends into a meat grinder? Cas, too? You want to use their deaths as a diversion?" Older Dean looked away, something akin to shame on his face, "Oh, man, something is broken in you. You're making decisions that I would never make. I wouldn't sacrifice my friends."

"You're right. You wouldn't. It's one of the main reasons we're in this mess, actually. One of the reasons we lost Beth, Noah-"

"These people count on you. They trust you. And Noah is still alive, you just had him hand delivered to freaking Lucifer, you son of a bitch!"

"Look, these people, they trust me to kill the devil and to save the world and that's exactly what I'm gonna do. I'm gonna kill Lucifer, and take back my son!"

"No. Not like this, you're not. I'm not gonna let you." Dean couldn't allow the betrayal of Older Dean's followers.

"Oh, really?"

"Yeah." Older Dean punched Dean, rendering him unconscious, and walked away to complete his betrayal.

Dean woke up a while later, to the sound of gun shots. He ran towards the noise, finding Older Dean on the ground, neck crushed by a white shoe. The person wearing the shoe, moved his weight, breaking Older Dean's neck with a loud crack. The person turned around, it was Sam, or rather Sam's body inhabited by Lucifer. "Oh. Hello, Dean." Lucifer greeted Dean, Dean just stared in disbelief, "Aren't you a surprise?" There was a crash of thunder and Lucifer appeared behind Dean. "You've come a long way to see this, haven't you?" He asked, Dean noticed a version of RJ behind him, dressed in a suit also.

"Well, go ahead. Kill me." Dean demanded.

"Kill you? With Noah watching?" Lucifer knew that this Dean wouldn't want a child exposed to that, he glanced down at the corpse of Older Dean, "Don't you think that would be a little...redundant?" Lucifer sighed heavily, "I'm sorry. It must be painful, speaking to me in this-shape. But it had to be your brother. It had to be." Lucifer appeared genuinely sorry, enraging Dean. Lucifer reached out to touch Dean's shoulder, but Dean backed away.

"You don't have to be afraid of me, Dean. What do you think I'm going to do?"

"I don't know. Maybe deep-fry the planet? Give me the boy."

Lucifer turned and began looking at some of the flowers surrounding him. "Why? Why would I want to destroy this stunning thing? Beautiful in a trillion different ways. The last perfect handiwork of God." Lucifer ignored Dean's demand, intent on explaining his own situation. "You ever hear the story of how I fell from grace?"

"Oh, good God, you're not gonna tell me a bedtime story, are you? My stomach's almost out of bile." Dean spat at him, Noah temporarily forgotten.

"You know why God cast me down? Because I loved him. More than anything. And then God created..." Lucifer smirked at Dean, "You. The little...hairless apes. And then he asked all of us to bow down before you—to love you, more than him. And I said, "Father, I can't." I said, "These human beings are flawed, murderous." And for that, God had Michael cast me into hell. Now, tell me, does the punishment fit the crime? Especially, when I was right? Look at what six billion of you have done to this thing, and how many of you blame me for it?"

"You're not fooling me, you know that? With this sympathy-for-the-devil crap. I know what you are."

"What am I?" Lucifer asked, challenging Dean.

"You're the same thing, only bigger. The same brand of cockroach I've been squashing my whole life. An ugly, evil, belly-to-the-ground, supernatural piece of crap. The only difference between them and you is the size of your ego."

"I like you, Dean. I get what the other angels see in you. Goodbye. We'll meet again soon. Say goodbye to Dean, Noah."

"Bye." Noah told him, as Lucifer placed an arm around his shoulder and turned to walk away.

"You better kill me now!" Dean yelled after them, making Lucifer turn around.

"Pardon?"

"You better kill me now. Or I swear, I will find a way to kill you. And I won't stop."

"I know you won't. I know you won't say yes to Michael, either. Despite what it means for your little family. And I know you won't kill Sam. Whatever you do, you will always end up here. Whatever choices you make, whatever details you alter, we will always end up-here. I win. So, I win."

"You're wrong." Dean had to believe that there was another way.

"See you in five years, Dean." Lucifer walked away. Thunder cracked over head and Dean found Zachariah behind him, reaching out for his forehead., bringing him back to his hotel room.

"Abbie, Beth." Dean gasped, running over to the bed where Castiel was sitting on the edge of bed, holding a sleeping Beth, while Abbie slept. He moved to grab Beth, but Castiel shook his head, warning him not to.

"Oh God." Dean was frantic, had she already been taken? He breathed a sigh of relief as she let out a yawn, and snuggled closer to Castiel.

"She's fine." Castiel assured him, "Both of them are fine."

Zachariah cleared his throat, "They'll be fine altogether if you say yes."

"Oh, well, if it isn't the ghost of Christmas screw you."

"Enough. Dean, enough. You saw it, right? You saw what happens. You're the only person who can prove the devil wrong. Just say yes."

"How do I know that this whole thing isn't one of your tricks? Huh? Some angel hocus-pocus?" Dean asked him, hoping to God that it was a trick.

"The time for tricks is over. Give yourself to Michael. Say yes and we can strike. Before Lucifer gets to Sam. Before billions die."

"Nah." Dean answered.

"'Nah'? You telling me you haven't learned your lesson?"

"Oh, I've learned a lesson, all right. Just not the one you wanted to teach."

"Well, I'll just have to teach it again! Because I got you now, boy, and I'm never letting you-" Zachariah reached forward, but found himself alone in the room. "Son of a..."

Dean found himself and his family in the Impala, on the open road, Castiel in the passenger seat, "That's pretty nice timing, Cas."

"We had an appointment. You've had your four hours." Castiel nodded, time had apparently stood still while Dean was gone.

"Don't ever change." Dean told Castiel.

"How did Zachariah find you?" Castiel wondered if he had failed in hiding the Winchesters.

"Long story. Let's just stay away from Jehovah's Witnesses from now on, okay?" Dean pulled out his cell phone.

"What are you doing?" Castiel asked.

"Something I should have done in the first place." Dean told him. "I seen the future, Cas. It needs to change."

Castiel didn't know what the future held, so offered what little comfort he could. "I have apparently healed Beth with some human power, Abbie however is still not very well." Castiel apologised.

"It's ok, Cas, I know what's wrong with her. She'll be over it in a couple of weeks." Castiel looked confused, couldn't understand why Dean was so calm with his wife ill. "Thank you for helping us out."

"I'm sure you would do the same if I required it." Castiel nodded, then disappeared.

"Sam?" Dean asked, "It's Dean. Where you at?"

"Still in Oklahoma." Sam answered.

"You at a bar?" Dean frowned hearing the loud background noise, even though it was still early in the morning. "Lucifer wants to wear you to the prom and you're out celebrating?"

"Umm no, Dean. I'm working."

"Working?" Dean repeated, "You don't want back in then?"

"You've changed your mind?" Sam asked, grinning.

"What motel you at? We're coming to get ya."

"Great Plains, Garber, Oklahoma."

"We'll be there first thing." Dean told him and hung up.

"We'll be where?" Abbie asked, waking.

"Garber, Sam's back." Dean told her with a grin.

"He is?" She smiled, "Great."

"You still got that virus?" Dean asked, seeing her in the rear view mirror.

"Yeah." She sighed.

"Definitely a virus?" He questioned, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Dammit." She whispered, understanding what Dean was getting at. "You don't think...?" Abbie had suspected what Dean appeared to be confirming. "Great." She mumbled, "Timing sucks."

"Doesn't it always." Dean asked her.

"You're sure?"

"Seen the future..." Dean explained, "Twins."

"No way." Abbie exclaimed, while Dean just nodded. "And you're sure they were ours?"

"Oh yeah." Dean grinned, remembering his sons. "Ginger ale and crackers coming up." Dean laughed, hoping he could change the future.

(Next morning)

"So this is where he's been." Abbie observed, as Sam walked out of one of the rooms, smiling when he seen the Impala, and the others stood there. "On you go, Beth." Abbie placed her down, laughing as Beth squealed and toddled towards Sam, who picked her up.

"Hey you." Sam grinned, hugging her, and walking towards the others.

"Sam." Dean pulled out Ruby's knife and handed it to Sam, "If you're serious and you want back in...you should hang on to this. I'm sure you're rusty." Sam took the knife, but still focussed on Beth. "Look, man, I'm sorry. I don't know. I'm...whatever I need to be. But I was, uh-wrong."

"What made you change your mind?" Sam asked, finally looking at Dean.

"Long story. The point is...maybe we are each other's Achilles heel. Maybe they'll find a way to use us against each other, I don't know. I just know we're all we've got. More than that. We keep each other human." Dean walked back towards the Impala, taking Sam's bag and throwing it in the trunk.

"Thank you. Really. Thank you. I won't let you down." Sam promised, "Hey Abbie." He hugged her.

"Oh, I know it. I mean, you are the second-best hunter on the planet."

"So, what do we do now?" Sam asked.

"Well, Abbie needs to go see her OB/GYN, and we're gonna make our own future." Dean told him, smiling as Sam figured out what was going on.

"OB?" Sam frowned, "No way."

"Yeah, kind of a shock to us too." Abbie laughed, "But hey, Dean's seen the future and well, yeah."

"Future?" Sam asked, frowning at Dean.

"Long story." Dean explained, "For another time." He figured, since he had already made changes that should ensure that future wouldn't happen, there was no point in elaborating on anyone's fate.

Sam strapped Beth into her seat, and then settled himself beside Dean in the front. "So we make our own future?"

"Yep." Dean nodded, starting the engine.

"Guess we have no choice." Sam answered, as they headed for home.


	14. Chapter 14

14

(South Dakota)

"Hey Bobby." Sam grinned, walking into the house, "Looking good."

"Sam!" Bobby wheeled himself over to him. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming back? Does Dean know?"

"Who'd you think drove his sorry butt back here?" Dean laughed, walking in behind him. "Hey Bobby, you been behaving?"

"Well, if you'd been here last night, you'd have crashed one hell of a party." Bobby joked. "Where's Abbie?"

"Getting some fresh air, car sick, you know?" Dean answered, hoping Bobby wouldn't question it further.

"She's been on the road with you for coming up on two years, and she's just getting car sick now?" Bobby asked.

"Hey Beth, go say hi to Grandpa Bobby." He put her down, and she made her way over to Bobby.

"She doing better, huh? Sounded like a hell of a cough she had." Bobby had called to check on them when Beth had a particularly bad night with her cold.

"Cas helped actually." Abbie walked into the room, "Turned the bathroom into a steam room, cleared her lungs enough to get her to take her cough syrup and actually sleep."

"Cas?" Bobby repeated.

"Managed to remember Jimmy doing that for his daughter." Abbie explained, "Hi Bobby, how you doing?"

"Doing good, kid. Better than you by the sounds of things." He frowned at her, "Car sick?"

"Dodgy burger probably. Bound to happen sooner or later." She laughed it off, "I'm gonna have a nap, kick this headache."

"You want some Tylenol?" Bobby offered, unaware of Abbie's situation.

"Nah, it's fine. Just overtired." She yawned to emphasise her point, and walked upstairs. Dean watched her go, trying to forget the future he had seen.

"So, what have you boys been up to?" Bobby asked, Sam'd been gone almost 6 weeks, Dean and the girls, close to two weeks.

"Bar work for me." Sam answered.

"Oh you know, same old." Dean replied, picking Beth up. "This and that."

"Same old? This and that?" Bobby repeated, "Boy, it's the apocalypse, there's no such thing as same old."

"Yeah, Dean, what made you call me back in?" Sam asked, Dean hadn't mentioned what had prompted him.

"I just-" Dean started, then looked over at Beth, "Wanted to make sure you'd be here for her birthday, only a week to go, huh Beth?"

"Pull the other one, it's got bells on." Bobby turned serious.

"Ok..." Dean huffed, "It was damn Zachariah. He took me five years into the future. Showed me what was gonna happen if we stayed on this road. Abbie and Beth..." Dean had to stop, his throat dry, tears in his eyes.

"Abbie and Beth?" Sam prompted, "What about Abbie and Beth?"

"They were..." Dean looked down at Beth on his lap, trying to grab Bobby's baseball cap, "Oh, God. They were dead."

"Dead?" Bobby asked, horrified. "How in the hell?"

"Abbie died in childbirth."

"Well that's easy enough sorted, you guys just don't have any more kids."

"It's too late for that Bobby." Sam told him.

"Damn." Bobby sighed, taking off his hat and giving it to Beth, "God dammit. I'm assuming Abbie doesn't know." Dean just shook his head, "Congratulations?"

"Twin boys." Dean informed them, "R.J and Noah."

"How far along is she?" Sam frowned.

"Couple of weeks we think." Dean answered, "I met them, the boys, in the future."

"And you're sure they're definitely yours and Abbie's?"

Dean had to smile, "Oh yeah. I'm sure. I got back to 2009, Abbie's sick, and it all made sense. She wasn't with me in 2014, her or Beth, Cas told me what had happened."

"Dean, I'm sor-" Sam whispered.

"Don't say you're sorry, Sam. I'm not gonna let it happen the way Zachariah showed me." Dean turned to Bobby, "Oh and Sam's Lucifer's vessel."

"Abbie's dream was true, Lucifer really did get to her." Bobby mumbled.

"What?" Sam looked between the two men. "Was anyone gonna tell me?"

"We weren't sure if it was just a nightmare." Dean told him, "Obviously not."

"Does Abbie know? About the future?"

"I'm not gonna let it happen, so no point in worrying her." Dean stated, "I'm not losing them."

"So, uhh Beth?" Sam asked.

"I don't wanna talk about it." Dean sniffed.

"Don't wanna talk about what?" Abbie joined them in the kitchen, "You guys look miserable...who died?" She joked.

"Hey, how you feeling?" Sam asked her, trying to sound a bit more cheerful.

"Better." She answered, "So what did I miss? What else did you see in the future? Do I get my figure back after the twins? What were they like?"

It was too much for Dean, "I'm gonna put Beth down for a nap." He got up and too her away before his emotions gave him away.

"She's not sleepy-" Abbie started, "K, that was weird." She sat down at the table. "What's going on?"

"Just discussing Beth's birthday party." Sam covered up. "Dean wanted pie instead of cake, we told him she had to have cake is all."

"That's all?"

"Dean was telling us all about his future trip." Bobby supplied, "Boy, you guys sure have your work cut out for ya." He lied, "Two mini Deans and Bug."

"I guess the positive in that is that we live long enough to be there five years from now, huh? We must manage to defeat Lucifer." She smiled, feeling hopeful.

"Yeah, true." Sam answered, "I'm just gonna see how Dean's getting on, catch up."

"Sure." Abbie frowned, "So, Dean told you then?" She asked Bobby.

"Oh yeah, he told me."

"I know the timings not ideal, what with the apocalypse and all, but hey, maybe this is a light at the end of the tunnel, something to fight for."

"Maybe..." Bobby answered, his heart sinking.

"You're not happy." Abbie observed, sighing, standing up.

"It's not that I'm not happy, I'm just kinda surprised is all." Bobby told her, "Twins at that." Bobby looked down at the table.

"I know that we'll probably need to get our own place, I mean, three kids." Abbie was rambling on, "But I'm sure we can find a place nearby, you know? We're not abandoning you." Abbie thought that was the reason why Bobby was quiet.

(Upstairs)

Sam walked into the bedroom to see Dean sitting on the bed, reading a book to Beth, "Babar the Elephant?" He asked, seeing what the book was. "You used to read this to me."

"Mom read it to me." Dean explained, "When I was in 2014, I read it to RJ."

"Your son?" Sam asked, sitting down beside Dean.

"Robert John Winchester." Dean told him.

"Abbie's gonna guess something's wrong if you leave the room every time she asks about the future."

"I know, but I just keep thinking about what's gonna happen. The boys aren't even born, and I'm already blaming them for Abbie's death. Every time she gets excited, I wanna tell her."

"So, tell me about the future. What can we do to stop it?"

"In 2014, the planet's been wrecked by Croatoan virus. Future me lives in a camp with other survivors. Me and RJ. Chuck and Cas are there, but Cas is human."

"OK." Sam took in the information. "Was I there?"

"No." Dean answered.

"Was I dead?"

"No." Dean sighed, "We'd not spoken for five years, you said yes to Lucifer."

"Well that's crazy." Sam shook his head, "That's why you called me back in? To make sure I wouldn't say yes to Lucifer. Dean, I'm kinda insulted."

"Well, I'm trying to save my wife and daughter, so excuse me for not sparing your feelings!" Dean snapped, startling Beth slightly. "You're back in, so hopefully no virus, and Beth's ok."

"Ok, so Abbie?"

"Cas told me she died having the twins. Blood loss. I wasn't there."

"Well there's no a lot you can do, you're not a doctor Dean."

"So I just let her-" Dean closed his eyes, "I can't do that."

"What else did Cas say?"

"Boys were premature, seven months. Something happened that put her into early labour. Cas got her to the hospital, but it was too late. Boys barely made it."

"OK, so we don't leave her alone when she gets to that time frame. We find out where the nearest hospital is any time we go away...I'm not saying we can stop it, but we can try." Sam tried to plan for anything that could happen. "You know there's another solution..."

"I've sat and read to one of them, Sam. I can't even consider..." Dean shook his head, "How can I tell Abbie I think we should get rid of- I just can't."

"You only talk about RJ, what about the other one?" Sam couldn't remember the name.

"Noah?" Dean asked, Sam nodded. "Zachariah took him to you, or Lucifer really."

"You let him?"

"Apparently so. After we lost Beth, I must've lost it. I tried to say yes-"

"What?" Sam interrupted.

"Crazy, I know. But Michael wasn't answering, and Zachariah took him to Lucifer, keeping the boys separated so they wouldn't have the whole 'I can't do it, it's my brother' issue, I guess."

"That's screwed up." Sam sighed, "You must've had no other choice though."

"Doesn't excuse sending my son to the freaking devil!"

"Dean?" Abbie appeared at the door, "Something you wanna tell me?"

"How much did you hear?" Dean asked.

"We lost Beth, you tried to say yes and you sent or send one of the boys to Lucifer." She was furious.

"Apparently future me does." Dean answered, glad she hadn't heard about her own fate.

"Tell me everything." Abbie stood at the door, arms folded.

"Abbie, don't-"

"Don't tell me your censored rose tinted perfect version of the future, Dean." She warned.

"Why don't I take Beth back downstairs, let you guys talk." Sam offered, but they both ignored him.

"Rose tinted." Dean scoffed, "It's anything but perfect, believe me."

"Let's start with losing Beth." Abbie watched her daughter, still sitting on Dean's lap, looking at her book.

"I'm not letting it happen so we don't need to go into any of it." Dean told her.

"Can you at least tell me so I know what to look out for? Try and help stop it?"

"There's no point."

"Oh 'cause you're gonna stop it?" Abbie pressed him.

"No, because you're already dead by then!" Dean yelled, the questions too much for him.

"What?" Abbie asked, covering her mouth in shock. "Dean?" He looked up at her, she could see tears in his eyes, "I'm already dead?"

"Look, Abbie, we're not gonna let that happen." Sam told her.

"What happens to me?"

"You lose too much blood when you're having the babies. Cas gets you to a hospital, but it's too late."

"But they're ok?"

"Premature, little RJ struggles a bit, has asthma, but yeah, they're ok."

"That's the important thing." Abbie nodded, "So I've got what, eight months?"

"Abbie-" Sam started.

"More like six unless we can get on top of this." Dean answered.

"Ok." She whispered, sitting down on the edge of the bed.

"See, this is why I didn't wanna tell you." Dean sighed, heart breaking. "But we have a plan."

"A plan?"

"We know roughly when this is supposed to happen, and we know Dean wasn't there, so when you get past the six month mark, we're not letting you out of our sight, and we're gonna be prepared, know where the hospitals are, how to get there quick." Sam informed her of the plan.

"Bobby knows?"

"Yeah." Dean replied, "That's what you walked in on earlier."

"So, we have a plan. All we do now is wait and see if it works, I guess." Abbie crawled up the bed, so she was beside Dean and snuggled in close to him and Beth. Feeling like he was intruding on a private family moment, Sam quietly got up from the bed, and walked back down to Bobby.

"Damn, that was tough." He told Bobby, walking back into the kitchen.

"What was?"

"Abbie overheard about the future, and Dean had to tell her the truth, about what he happened to her."

"He told her? Is he mad?"

"Kinda slipped out."

"How'd she take it?"

"Better than I thought, only time will tell. We've got a plan, try to avoid what we thinks gonna happen." Sam explained, "But until then, we just keep fighting."

"All we can do, isn't it?" Bobby sighed, wondering how they were supposed to cheat fate.


	15. Chapter 15

15

(A week later)

"Good morning, birthday girl." Dean smiled at Beth, who was standing up in her crib, babbling to him. "Where's your momma at, huh?" He asked her, seeing it was only 8am. "Will we go find her?"

"Dada!" Beth grinned at him, holding her arms out to him.

"Come on then, maybe mom's making breakfast for us." Dean picked her up and walked downstairs. "Or maybe not." Abbie was sitting at the table, head on the table, asleep.

"Abbie?" Dean asked, shaking her shoulder. "You've not been down here all night..."

"Huh?" She asked, looking up at him. "I guess I fell asleep."

"You guess you fell asleep." Dean repeated. "Honey, you can't do this, you gotta stay well."

"I know, I know. I just..." She sighed, "I didn't mean to, I was just busy."

"Doing what?"

"Beth's cake." Abbie answered, nodding to a pink Impala shaped cake, elaborately decorated with icing.

"Whoa, I was gonna pick one up in town this morning." Dean told her, sitting down with Beth.

"I wanted to make one."

"You didn't have to, and you certainly didn't have to stay awake all night to do it. I was gonna pick up a stupid dinosaur cake. That thing she's always watching on TV with Sam."

"Maybe I should've made the dinosaur cake." Abbie sighed, glancing at the cake she'd made.

"Baby, it's only a cake. She's only one, she's not gonna remember if she had a car or a dinosaur, ok?"

"Will she remember me?" Abbie asked, looking up at Dean, "I-I mean, if this is the one birthday I have with her, I want it to be perfect."

"Of course she's gonna remember you, 'cause I'm not letting you go, ok? The future was wrong, I've already got Sam back with us, changed that part of the story."

"Is it enough?"

"Abbie, you fought so hard when it was my time, I'm doing the same."

"You still died, Dean." Abbie reminded him. "Hey Beth, happy birthday." She ran a finger down Beth's cheek. "Well, today's a happy day. Go watch some TV with Beth, I'll rustle up some breakfast for us."

"I can get that." Sam walked into the kitchen. "Pancakes for the birthday girl?"

"And her daddy too." Dean grinned at his brother.

"Wow, it this Beth's cake? Home made?" Sam seen the cake Abbie had stayed up all night to make.

"The fact that it says 'Happy First Birthday Beth' kinda says it is." Dean joked. "Abbie prefers baking cakes to sleeping these days." He added, "I've already told her that's not a good plan."

"I just wanted to make today special." Abbie defended herself. Sam shot Dean a worried glance. "Look, this maybe the only birthday I get to spend with any of our kids."

"Abbie-" Dean started.

"No, Dean. We need to get used to the fact that might be what's gonna happen."

"Still don't see why in the hell you felt compelled to tell her..." Bobby grumbled, walking into the room.

"I didn't mean to." Dean told him.

"I'm glad he told me, Bobby. It's my life, and I have the right to know if or when it's gonna be done with." Abbie answered. "Anyway, enough of the morbid stuff, have you all forgotten that it's Beth's day?"

"Nope." Sam answered, "I'll get started on those pancakes."

"I'll help."Abbie offered, following in him. "I need you to promise me something, Sam"

"Sure."

"Look after Dean for me, and the kids?" Sam opened his mouth to protest, "Just in case we haven't changed the future."

"Of course I will."

"I know Beth has Dean wrapped around her little finger, Lord knows the boys'll be the same. I know how hard it was for your dad with only two of you-"

"Consider it done." Sam pulled Abbie to him, planting a kiss on top of her head. "It's all gonna work out, you'll see."

"I hope so, Sam. I really hope so, I don't wanna leave them." She looked out at the living room where Beth was sitting on Dean's knee pointing at her favorite TV show, while Dean grimaced at the silly dances, just waiting on the day when Beth wanted him to join in.

"So, how's Abbie doing?" Bobby asked Dean, once Abbie was out of earshot.

"Well her morning sickness is more like all day sickness. She's barely eating. I'm worried about her, Bobby. I know I shouldn't have told her what I saw, but she was going on and on at me about saving the munchkin here..."

"Must've been hard for you, in the future."

"God, Bobby, you have no idea..." Dean sighed, "When Cas told me...my whole world just fell apart."

"I bet it did." Bobby nodded, he could still remember losing his wife Karen like it was yesterday.

"I mean losing both of them, I can't imagine my life without them. Sam suggested a way to save Abbie, but I can't even think about it Bobby. Not after meeting little RJ."

"RJ?"

"Our four year old son. Robert John, after his two grandpas." Dean smiled at the memory of his little boy. "He was the weaker of the boys, has asthma pretty bad. It was horrible, Bobby. Future me didn't tell him a thing about Abbie. He had to ask me what she was like."

"That's a damn shame." Bobby shook his head, if Abbie was about to sacrifice herself for her boys, the least Dean could do, was to let them know what she was like.

"He shot a man in cold blood with RJ watching, I could never do that, Bobby."

"You never will, 'cause we're gonna stop this from happening." Sam walked into the room, "Breakfast's ready, I'll get the birthday girl into her high chair."

(Three weeks later)

"Are you sure you'll be ok with Beth and Bobby?" Dean asked Abbie.

"Yes. Go."

"But-"

"You're not gonna stop the apocalypse if you're constantly hovering over me. The sickness isn't as bad-"

"This isn't a real apocalypse case."

"Yeah, but you wanted to ease back into things with Sam, this is the ideal case for that, you need this so you can get back to kicking demonic ass." Dean looked unsure, "Dammit, Dean. If you don't get out there, I'll grab my bag and work the case with Sam."

"K." Dean mumbled, "I'll call."

"You better." Abbie laughed, hugging him. "Go say bye to Beth, she's in the kitchen with Bobby."

Dean walked into the kitchen, "You gonna look after Grandpa Bobby for Daddy?" Dean asked Beth, seeing her sitting on Bobby's lap.

"Dada!" Beth squealed. "Dada!"

"Daddy has to go away for a few days, but he'll see you soon. Bye Beth." He waved to her. "Bye Bobby."

"Dada?" Her lip began to quiver, tears pooled. "Dada?"

"He'll be back soon, Bug." Bobby tried to soothe her, Bobby nodded to Dean to keep walking, while Sam hovered in the doorway, also wanting to say goodbye to Bobby and Beth. "Bye Sam." Bobby told him quietly, hoping not to let Beth know Sam was also leaving.

(In the Impala)

"Getting harder to leave them behind, huh?" Sam observed, once they'd been driving.

"Always was, Sam." Dean sighed, "But now, if we only have a few months..."

"You don't." Sam told him, "Anyway, what's with this job? What managed to drag you away?"

"Dude suffers a head-on collision in a parked car? I'd say that's worth checking out."

"Yeah, definitely, uh, but, uh, we got bigger problems, don't you think?"

"I'm sure the apocalypse'll still be there when we get back."

"Right, yeah, but I mean, if-if the Colt is really out there somewhere-" Dean just shot Sam a glance, "Okay. But Dean...I mean, if we're gonna ice the Devil-"

"This is what we're doing! Okay? End of discussion." Dean told him, "It's like Abbie said, we need to ease back into this team thing-"

"So you both think I need training wheels."

"No, 'we'. 'We' need training wheels, you and me. As a team. Okay? Man, I really want this to be a fresh start, you know? For the both of us." Dean explained, as they arrived at the local police station.

(That night)

"Well, anything interesting?" Abbie was asking Dean, the cell phone on speakerphone, while she bathed Beth. "Are you at a bar?"

"No, I'm at a, uh, restaurant." Dean answered, "With a bar..." Abbie had to laugh at him.

"Sam with you?"

"No, he's researching. You are not gonna believe it, Abs. The car is Little Bastard!"

"Dean! You're on speaker." Abbie reminded him, hoping Beth hadn't heard, although she knew it was a long shot, as Beth was listening to her father's voice.

"Basa!" Beth squealed with delight.

"Shit." Dean cursed, "Damn, sorry." Could this phonecall be any worse?

"So, the car?You think you have James Dean's car? Killing someone? Like that book, ummm, Christine."

"Normally I would say that's fiction, but we saw video of it. The car killed the guy."

"So, what you gonna do? Salt and burn the car?"

"I really don't wanna, I mean, she's a beauty. A legend..."

"And killing people." Abbie continued, "Need to stop it killing people. Hasn't it killed before? I think I read about that."

"Supposedly, story goes after it killed James Dean, his mechanic fixed it up and it fell on him, and killed him, then it locked up on a race track. I mean, death follows this car around like exhaust. Nobody touches it and comes away in one piece. Then, in nineteen-seventy, it vanished off the back of a truck. Nobody's ever seen it since."

"Until now, and it's killing again, Dean."

"I know." He sighed, "We need to do something."

"Sorry, babe. Looks like Little Bas...ummm that car, is destined for the scrap heap. Are you sure it's the real deal?"

"Got Sam checking the engine number now."

"How'd you get the engine number?"

"By looking at the engine?" Dean answered, squirming slightly.

"You went to the garage, to check out a possessed car that's killed anyone with anything to do with it, genius move there." Abbie sighed.

"Hey, I was nice to the car, it didn't do anything to me."

"But still-"

"I'm gonna send you through the video file of that car killing the guy, can you have a look over it, see if you can figure it out? Maybe I missed something."

"Sure, but-"

Dean's phone beeped. "I gotta go, that's Sam."

"K, I'll check out the video and get back to you. Bye Dean. Beth, say bye to Daddy."

"Buh bye." Beth waved toward the phone.

"Yo." Dean answered the phone.

"Hey. Took me a while, but I traced all the car's previous owners."

"Any of 'em die bloody?" Dean moved to a table away from the bar.

"Nope. In fact-" Someone near Dean broke a triangle of pool balls, Sam heard it. "Dean, are you in a bar?"

"No, I'm in a restaurant."

The bar tender walked over to Dean's table. "Here's your beer."

"Thanks. Ok, so the restaurant has a bar."

"I've been working my ass off here."

"Hey, world's smallest violin, pal, I spent the afternoon up Christine's skirt. I needed a drink."

"Actually, you didn't. The car's first owner was a cardiologist in Philadelphia; drove it 'til he died in 1972."

"So you're saying?" Dean wasn't sure if he wanted the car to be a fake or not.

"That Porsche is not, nor has it ever been, James Dean's car. It's a fake Little Bastard."

"Well then what was it that killed the guy?" Dean gulped down his beer and headed towards the bar.

"Good question." Sam answered.

"Hang tight, I'm on my way back to you." Dean told him, heading back to the motel.

(Next morning)

"There's been a murder." Sam informed Dean, walking back in with breakfast. "Heard about it at the diner. Might be worth checking out."

"Seriously, is it another car?"

"No, gunshot." Sam answered, Dean looked disappointed, "No bullet."

"So, it's worth checking out." Dean decided. "You get an address?"

(Later on that morning)

"I'd say we've found our scene, huh?" Dean commented, noticing police buzzing around a house.

"I want you to use a, a fine-tooth comb. The evidence is here, we just gotta find it." The detective they had spoken to the day before was ordering people around.

"Heard you got another weird one." Dean told him.

"Uh, well, it's a—it's a little strange on the surface, I admit, but, uh...you know, once you-you look at the facts..."

"William Hill died from a gunshot wound to the head. No gun, no gunpowder, no bullet." Sam continued.

Dean just shrugged, "Nope. Nothing strange about that."

"Well there's gotta be a reasonable explanation. There always is." The detective frowned.

"Well what's your reasonable explanation?" Dean asked, him.

"Professional killer. CIA, NSA, one o' them trained assassins, like in Michael Clayton."

Dean and Sam looked at each other, "Right."

"You're welcome to look around, but-but these guys don't leave fingerprints."

"Mind if we talk with the witness?" Sam asked.

"Be my guest. She's not making any sense! And she's not making any sense in Spanish either."

Sam and Dean walked outside to talk to the house keeper. She was talking in Spanish, obviously distressed. "This could be a problem." Dean noted.

"Let me handle it." Sam walked over to her. "Consuela Alvarez?" She looked up at them, "FBI."

"Now, uh, you said you saw something in the professor's house. Right? Something in the window?" Dean started, ignoring Sam's request, prompting more Spanish from Consuela.

Sam knelt in front of her, "Uh, Señora Alvarez. Cálmese, por favor. Uh-" Sam stopped, thinking for a moment, "Uh, díganos lo que vio?"

"Nice." Dean grinned.

"Freshman Spanish." Sam explained.

"Era alto. Muy alto. Y llevaba el abrigo negro largo y tenía bigotes." Consuela told him.

"Okay, uh, a tall man, very tall. With a long black coat and a— A beard?" Consuela nodded.

"Y un sombrero."

"Dude was wearing a sombrero?"

"Uh, a hat, not a-a-"

"Sombrero alto." Consuela supplied.

"A tall hat?"

"What, you mean like a-like a stovepipe hat?" Dean asked her. She nodded, "Oh yeah, like Abraham Lincoln."

"Sí. El Presidente Lincoln." Consuela sobbed. "Abraham Lincoln kill Mister Hill!So-so I go home now?"

"Uh, sí. Gracias." Sam told her.

"Gracias." Dean repeated, as she walked away.

"Abraham Lincoln." Sam frowned, as Dean's cell went off.

"Abs, hey."

"Hey, look at 5:37 on the video when you get a chance, there was more than just the two guys in there."

"Who else was there?"

"Have a look, and call me back. I just wanna know what you think."

"Sure, we're heading back to the motel now."

"Where you at?"

"A murder scene, a murder committed by Abraham Lincoln apparently." Dean laughed, frowning when Abbie didn't laugh, "Pretty weird, huh?"

"Maybe, maybe not."

"What's on that video?" Dean asked, suspecting that was why she didn't find it weird that Abe Lincoln was killing people.

"Just call me when you see it."

"K." Dean hung up and they drove back to the motel. He set up the laptop, and started watching the video, "Whoa."

"What?" Sam looked at Dean's laptop screen, Dean was going back and forth between two frames, a man in a red jacket was seen clearly in one frame, but gone in the other.

"It's a freeze-frame from Jim Grossman's video." Dean explained, "Am I crazy, or does that look like James Dean?"

"That looks like James Dean." Sam confirmed.

"So we got Abraham Lincoln, _and_ James Dean?" Dean asked, "Famous ghosts?"

"Maybe. Good idea sending that to Abbie. You know, there is a ton of lore on famous ghosts. More than the, you know, not-famous kinds. I'm actually surprised we haven't run into one before."

"Yeah, but now we got two of 'em? Two extremely pissed-off ghosts?"

"Who are apparently ganking their fans."

"What do you mean?" Dean asked, while Sam went back to his own laptop.

"Professor Hill was a Civil War nut. He dug Lincoln."

"Cal must've been a James Dean freak. He spent seventeen years of his life tracking down the guy's car. So we've got two super-famous, super-pissed-off ghosts killing their...super-fans?"

"That's what it looks like."

"Yeah, well, the big question is, what the hell are they doing here?" Dean asked, totally confused.

"Yeah. Ghosts usually haunt the places they live. I mean, I, I get Abraham Lincoln at the White House, James Dean at a race track, but...what the hell are they doing in Canton?"

"I dunno." Dean answered, picking up his cell phone to call Abbie. "Hey Abs.

"Did you see him?" Abbie asked.

"If you mean the ghost of James Dean...yeah. Good work."

"So, what's going on in Canton?"

"We don't know, two famous vengeful spirits, taking on their biggest fans."

"You gotta be kidding me." Sam mumbled.

"What?" Dean asked, looking over at him, "Sam might have something, I'll call you back." Dean looked at Sam's screen, "You gotta be kidding me."


	16. Chapter 16

**Thanks for all reviews so far...keep them coming! Sorry it took so lonto get this next part out, but RL hectic!**

**Keep reading and reviewing!**

**Cheers**

**Alz x**

16

(At the local Wax museum)

Dean walked by the figures, stopping to examine Abraham Lincoln, then frowning at a model of Gandhi. "Dude, he's short."

"Hey. Gandhi was a great man." Sam argued.

"Yeah, for a Smurf." Dean retorted, as the owner caught up with them.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, this is our busiest time of the year." The place looked empty to Sam and Dean.

"This is busy?" Dean asked.

"Well, not right now, but it's early." The owner explained.

"It's four-thirty." Sam pointed out, the owner just huffed, "Uh, well, we are writing a piece for _Travel Magazine_."

"Yeah, on how, uh, totally non-sucky wax museums are." Dean supplied.

"That's fantastic. A little press, just what we need."

"Great. Well we're interested in a few of your exhibits, specifically Abraham Lincoln and, uh, James Dean."

"Two of our most popular displays." The owner grinned.

"Oh yeah? So they bring in a lot of visitors?"

"Yeah, we have our regulars."

"I don't suppose that, uh, William Hill and Cal Hawkins were regulars, were they?" Dean wondered.

"As a matter of fact, they were. Yeah, I heard what happened to them. It's tragic, just tragic. Oh – you - that's not gonna be in the article, is it?"

"No. No, no. 'Course not."

"You know, I gotta tell you, that-that Lincoln is so lifelike, I mean, you-I mean, you can just imagine him moving around. You ever see anything like that?" Dean questioned, the owner shook his head, "No?"

"Well, um, is there anything you could think of that would make your museum...unusual? You know, for the article?"

"Well, I'll say. There isn't another place like us, not anywhere."

"How so?"

"Well, for one, that's Honest Abe's real hat."

"Almost like his remains." Dean looked at Sam, grinning.

"You wouldn't happen to have any of James Dean's personal effects, would you?" Sam asked, an idea forming.

"Ooh, yeah. Got his keychain. We got a bunch of stuff, uh, Gandhi's bifocals, FDR's iron lung."

"I've been working on a new collection of figures. Stuff that'll really wow the kids. Computer games, cell phones, sexting. They're just fads. I'm gonna make wax museums hip again."

(Back at the motel that night)

Sam had sorted the guns at the car, and was just heading back inside when he heard Dean on the phone, "Yeah, Abraham Lincoln and James Dean, can you believe that? ...Why so kill-crazy? Ah, maybe the apocalypse has got 'em all hot and bothered. Yeah, well, we all know whose fault that is. ...Well I'm sorry, but it's true." Sam closed the door behind him, making Dean turn to face him, "I'll call you later. Give Beth a big hug for me, k? Bye."

"What's going on?"

"Did you get the trunk packed up?" Dean ignored the question.

"Yeah, trunk's packed. Who was on the phone?"

"Bobby."

"Everything ok back home?"

"Yeah." Dean answered.

"And?" Sam asked, wondering why Bobby was calling.

Dean shook his head, "Nothing."

"So we're just gonna pretend I didn't hear what I just heard?"

"Pretend or don't pretend. Whatever floats your boat."

"This was supposed to be a fresh start, Dean." Sam sighed, as Dean grabbed his jacket.

"Well, this is about as fresh as it gets. Now are we going or not?" Dean walked out of the door, not waiting for Sam.

(At the wax museum)

Sam walked by the figures, turning to see Dean wearing Lincoln's hat, "Check it out. Four score and seven years ago, I had a funny hat."

"Dean." Sam sighed, grabbing the hat.

"We can't have any fun with this?" Dean asked, tossing the hat into the trash can.

"Let's just torch the objects, torch the ghosts, get outta here. Okay?"

"I'll go grab East of Eden's keychain." Dean walked though to the next room, while Sam leaned closer to the Lincoln for a closer look, turning when he heard a noise behind him.

"Dean?" Sam walked towards the door Dean had gone through, "Dean?" He tried the door handle, but the doors wouldn't open. He noticed his breath in front of him, and turned around shotgun at the ready, the shotgun flew out of his hand as he found himself attacked by Gandhi. Gandhi wrapped his arms around Sam's neck, but Sam managed to slam him into a wall. Sam managed to stand, only to find himself attacked by Gandhi again. Hearing the noise from the next room, Dean ran back in. "Dean!"

"Is that Gandhi?" Dean asked, shocked, "Dude, he's squirrelly."

"Get the-" Gandhi elbowed Sam, winding him, leaving him unable to talk, he pointed to Gandhi's wax figure. "Do it!"

"Get the what?"

"Glasses!" Sam began to choke, Dean grabbed the glasses from the figure and burnt them, Gandhi disappeared.

"You couldn't have been a fan of someone cool?" Dean mocked. "Really? Gandhi?"

(Back at the motel – next morning)

Dean was packing his bag to go home while Sam just sat watching him. "Ready to blow this joint?"

"Dean, didn't it strike you as strange the way Gandhi just...vanished?" Sam asked.

"Strange how?"

"No screaming, no big flame-out, I mean, that isn't the way ghosts usually go." Sam reasoned.

"Still, I torched, he vanished."

"Yeah, but I-" Sam sighed, "Also, I feel like he was...trying to take a bite out of me. Like he was hungry. But the thing is, Gandhi-or, the real Gandhi-he was a-"

"A what?" Dean couldn't get what Sam was trying to say, "Spit it out."

"He was a fruitarian."

Dean stared, then laughed at Sam, "Let me get this straight. Your, uh, ultimate hero was not only a short man in diapers, but he was also a fruitarian?That is good. That is - for you, that is good."

"Look, I'm just saying, I'm not so sure this thing is over."

"It was a ghost. It was a weirdly super-charged fruitarian ghost, but it was still a ghost. Now let's go. I got my girls to get back to, promised Abs I'd go to the OB with her on Thursday." Dean grabbed his bag.

"So first you drag me into town, and now you're dragging me back out."

"You ain't steering this boat. Let's go, chop chop. Places to be."

"Not for 4 days yet, Dean." Dean ignored him and walked towards the door, "You know, this isn't gonna work."

"What isn't? I can be back in South Dakota for Thursday even if we leave tomorrow, and we're leaving now-"

"No that. Us. You, me, together, I - I thought it could, but it can't."

"You're the one that wanted back in, chief." Dean reminded him.

"And you're the one who called me back in. Or was that just to make sure I was there for Beth's birthday."

"You already know why, Sam. The future, Abbie and Beth." Dean sighed, seeing Sam's point, "I still think we got some trust building to do."

"How long am I gonna be on double-secret probation?"

"Till I say so." Dean answered.

"Look. I know what I did. What I've done. And I am trying to climb out of that hole, I am, but you're not making it any easier."

"So what am I supposed to do, just let you off the hook?" Dean asked, "You let Lucifer outta the box, because of that, I could lose my wife my daughter-"

"Abbie dying was nothing to do with the apocalypse, Dean." Sam reasoned, Dean shook his head."You know, you can think whatever you want. I deserve it, and worse. Hell, you'll never punish me as much as I'm punishing myself, but the point is, if we're gonna be a team, you and I-it has to be a two-way street."

"So we just go back to the way we were before?"

"No, because we were never that way before. Before didn't work. How do you think we got here?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Dean, one of the reasons I went off with Ruby...was to get away from you." Dean stared at him, confused, "It made me feel strong. Like I wasn't your kid brother."

"Are you saying this is my fault?"

"No, it's my fault. All I'm saying is that, if we're gonna do this, we have to do it different, we can't just fall into the same rut."

"What do you want me to do?"

"You're gonna have to let me grow up, for starters. I'm an adult, you have Abbie and Beth to worry about now."

Sam stopped as Dean's cell phone began to ring, "Yeah? Yeah. Yeah, okay." He hung up, "I guess you were right about this not being over."

(South Dakota)

"How are the boys getting on?" Bobby asked Abbie as he wheeled himself into the living room.

"Toughing it out." Abbie sighed, rubbing her eyes.

"You're thinking you should have went with them."

"Let's face it, I'd just end up stuck in the middle. It was fine when they were here, just being normal, well as normal as we get, but now they're back on the job, and it's all going back round to trust..."

"Dean didn't sound mighty happy when he called last night." Bobby agreed.

"I dunno if they're gonna get back from this."

"Sounds like a simple salt and burn, kid. They'll be fine."

"Not the hunt, Bobby. Everything. First Sam betrayed him with me-"

"Water under the bridge, Abbie. Dean forgave you both, you forgave him when he did wrong."

"Then Sam chose Ruby over him."

"They're working through it though. You and Dean got over it when you had issues, didn't you? I mean, look at you guys, having more kids and everything."

"When Dean and I let each other down, we didn't start the apocalypse, did we?" Abbie reasoned, "I know Sam's sorry and all, but I dunno if they can get back to how they were...and Dean can't say yes to Michael, Bobby. He needs to be here for the kids. I mean, Raphael's vessel was a damned vegetable, and Michael's stronger-"

"Dean's not gonna say yes, Abbie. Sam won't say yes either. I know Dean's pissed, but he could never hurt Sam."

"Not even to save Beth?"

Bobby couldn't answer, where Beth was involved, there was no telling what Dean would or wouldn't do.

(Ohio)

Sam and Dean walked into the police station, "Sheriff Carnegie? What happened?"

"I, uh, uh..." Carnegie shrugged and shook his head, "I don't know!" He nodded to an interview room where two young women were obviously upset.

Sam and Dean walked over to the room and walked in. "Excuse us, girls. Hi, we're with the FBI." Dean told them.

"Can you tell us what happened?" Sam asked.

"It was horrible!" One girl told them.

"Way horrible." Her friend confirmed.

"What was horrible?"

"I thought she'd be nice!" The girl told them, "I still can't believe it."

"Believe what?" Dean didn't have a clue what was going on.

"She took Danielle!"

"Who?" Sam asked, "It's okay, you're safe, just, tell us. Who took your friend?"

"It was...Paris Hilton." Dean and Sam just stared at each other.

"What-wait-huh?" Dean frowned, "Where did they go?"

"We don't know. They just vanished."

"Would you excuse us for just a minute?" Dean stood up and walked towards the door, Sam following, "Paris Hilton's not dead as far as we know, right?"

"Pretty sure, no." Sam answered.

"Which means it's not a-"

"Ghost. No."

"So, what? Paris Hilton is a homicidal maniac-"

"Or we missed something." Sam finished, officially confused.

"What do you wanna do?" Dean asked.

"I want to check something out." Sam told him, walking out.

(Coroner's office)

Sam was in the morgue, while Dean waited outside. He glanced at the notes, then pulled out Cal's body, cutting open the chest. "That's right." He pulled his hand out of the chest, "What the hell?" He cleaned up, changed into his suit and met Dean outside, "I can't believe I missed it." They started to walk back to the Impala.

"Missed what?"

"Went back over the other two vics. There was blood loss. Major." Sam explained.

"Oh, well, being a gory smear will do that to you." Dean reasoned.

"No, I-I mean more blood loss than a-a car crash or a head wound should cause, almost like it-"

"Something's feeding." Dean realised, racking his brains to think of a creature.

"Yeah. And then-" Sam held up a plastic bag, "There were these."

Dean looked at the bag and it's contents, "What are those, seeds?"

"Yeah. They were in both vics' bellies."

"I hope you washed your hands." Dean grumbled, disgusted.

"They're unlike any seed I've ever seen before, Dean."

"Wow, just when I thought you couldn't get any geekier." They drive back to the motel, Dean decided to call Abbie while Sam researched. "Yeah, something weird's happening."

"How long will it take to fix?"

"I dunno, Sam's working on it just now. I'll be back for Thursday."

"You don't need to."

"Promised I would be, didn't I?" Dean asked her, "Anyway, how's my girl doing?"

"Creating chaos." Abbie laughed, "God help you when you've got three of them on your own."

"Not happening, Abs."

"Yahtzee." Sam grinned, then remember Dean was on the phone. "Sorry."

"Honey, I gotta go, Sam's found something. See you Thursday if not before then."

"K, see ya then." Abbie hung up.

"What?" Dean asked Sam.

"The seeds aren't from around here. In fact, they're not from any tree or plant in the country."

"Where are they from?"

"Eastern Europe. From a forest in the Balkans, which is not even there anymore. It was chopped down, like, thirty years ago. So, local legend has it that the forest was guarded by a pagan god whose name was Leshi. Um, a mischievous god, could take on infinite forms-"

"And let me guess. He liked to munch on his fans."

"Yep. Could be appeased only with the blood from his worshippers. It would drain 'em, then stuff their stomachs with the seeds."

"So how's he doing it? What, he touches James Dean's keychain and then morphs into James Dean?" Dean asked, unfamiliar with the legends.

"Hm. It's as good a guess as any."

"Yeah, well, whatever. How do we kill him?"

"Says here to chop off his head with an iron axe."

"All right. Let's go gank ourselves a Paris Hilton."

They headed toward the Wax Museum, ready to take on Leshi. They explored the museum separately until Sam came across a section marked, 'Closed for renovations. Danger, do not enter.' He whistled on Dean to join him. They broke into the area, containing a model of a white house, with a wax figure stood on the porch. Sam noticed a young woman, Danielle, the one kidnapped by 'Paris Hilton' tied up to a tree. Sam ran over to her, "Hey." He checked her pulse.

"She alive?" Dean asked, walking up behind him.

"Yeah. Barely."

All of a sudden, the axe Dean was carrying flew out of Dean's hand and embedded itself in a tree opposite them. They turned to see Paris Hilton, or rather Leshi in the form of her. She grinned and punched Dean several times, forcing him to the ground. Sam lunged at her, but she threw him across the room, he fell to the ground unconscious. "Awesome." Leshi smiled, pleased with herself. Sam and Dean woke a while later to find themselves tied to trees, while Leshi sat on a tree stump near by, filing her nails on one of her various knives. "Oh. I'm so glad you're awake for this. This is gonna be huge."

"Super. Yeah, I wouldn't wanna miss it." Dean grumbled, while trying to undo his ropes without Leshi noticing.

"I mean, I've been stuffing myself with fast food lately. So it's nice to do the ritual right. Prepare a nice, slow meal for a change."

"Just like the good old days, huh?" Sam growled.

"You have no idea. People adored me. They used to throw themselves at me, with smiles on their faces."

"Yeah, I guess these days nobody gives a flying crap about some backwoods forest god, huh?" Dean retorted, annoying Leshi, causing her to glare at him.

"No. Not since they cut down my forest and built a Yugo plant." Leshi sighed.

"March of progress, sister." Dean told her, unsympathetic.

"For years now, I've been wandering. Hungry. Scared. Scrounging for scraps. So not sexy. But then, the best thing ever happened." She stopped filing her nails, "Someone tripped the apocalypse. And I thought, what the hell, I'm tired of watching what I eat. I wanna pig out. So I found this little place. It's awesome. Adoring fans stroll right in the door."

"Yeah. But they're not your fans." Sam told her.

"So? They worship Lincoln, Gandhi, Hilton...whatever. I'll take what I can get."

"You know, I gotta tell you, you are not the first god we've met, but you are...the nuttiest." Dean snarled.

"No, you, you people, you're the crazy ones. You used to worship gods. But this?" She pointed at herself, "This is what passes for idolatry? Celebrities? What have they got besides small dogs and spray tans?" Dean nodded in agreement, he'd seen Abbie reading those magazines, had even sneeked a peek himself, "You people used to have old-time religion. Now you have _Us Weekly_."

"I don't know, I'm more of a _Penthouse Forum_ man myself." Dean grinned, Leshi walked over to him.

"Maybe, but...there's still a lot of yummy meat on those bones, boy."

"Well I hate to break it to you, sister, but, uh...you can't eat me. See, I'm not a Paris Hilton BFF. I've never even seen _House of Wax_." Sam looked over at Dean frowning, for a non Paris fan, he sure knew about her.

"No. But I can totally read your mind, Dean. I know who your hero is. Your daddy. Am I right?" Dean didn't reply, not wanting to give Leshi any satisfaction, Leshi pointed to the axe in the tree, "And this belonged to him. Didn't it? Poor little Dean. All you ever wanted was to be loved by your idol. One distant father figure, coming right up." She went to grab the axe, just as Dean managed to free himself from his ropes, he sprinted across the room and tackled Leshi to the floor, Sam managed to free himself as Leshi punched into Dean's face. Dean managed to throw Leshi off ogf him, Sam grabbed the axe and chopped off Leshi's head.

"Not a word." Dean growled as Sam helped him up.

"Dude. You just got whaled on by Paris Hilton!"

"Shut up." Dean rubbed the back of his head, "If I hear you telling Abbie about this-" He stopped as Sam just laughed heartily at him.

(Back at the motel)

"Uh-huh. All right. Thank you." Dean was on his cell phone while Sam dumped the bags in the trunk of the car, Dean hung up, "Sheriff Carnegie. Danielle's gonna be all right. She's sworn off _The Simple Life_, but other than that-"

"Glad she's okay." Sam stated.

"It gets better. Sheriff's putting out an APB on Paris Hilton." Dean chuckled, "That oughta be good." Sam went to hand the keys of the Impala back to Dean, "Hey, listen, I was thinking about what you said yesterday. About me keeping too tight of a leash on you." Sam just looked at him, "Hell, maybe you're right. I mean, look, I'm not exactly Mister Innocent in this whole mess either, you know. I did break the first seal."

"You didn't know."

"Yeah, well, neither did you." Sam looked down at the ground, "I'm not saying demon blood was a great way to go, but, you did kill Lilith."

"And start the apocalypse."

"Which neither of us saw coming, I mean, who'd have thought killing Lilith would've been a bad thing?" Dean reasoned, "Point is, I was so worried about watching your every move that I didn't see what it was actually doing to you. So, for that I'm sorry."

"Thanks."

"So where do we go from here?" Dean asked.

"They way I see it, we got one shot at surviving this." Sam told him, "Maybe I am on deck for the devil, maybe same with you and Michael, maybe there's no changing that."

"Well that's encouraging." Dean mumbled.

"But, we _can_ stop wringing our hands over it. We gotta just grab onto whatever's in front of us, kick its ass, and go down fighting."

Dean thought for a moment, then nodded, "I can get on board with that."

"Okay. But we're gonna have to do it on the same level."

"You got it." Dean answered. "I say we get the hell outta here."

"Hell yeah." Sam agreed, still holding the keys out to Dean.

"Hey." Sam stopped opening the passenger door, "You wanna drive?"

Sam looked down at the keys he was still holding, "You sure?"

"Yeah, I could, uh...I could use a nap. You know how Abbie gets about me driving after I've hot my head. You'd be doing us both a favour."

"Sure." Sam grinned, walking around to the driver's side and getting in. "Homeward bound." Sam smiled, starting the engine and heading back to South Dakota.


	17. Chapter 17

**Hey guys**

**Thanks for the reviews, sorry if I've not managed to reply to you, but RL been hectic and bit stressful.**

**Please let me know what you think of this chapter**

**Alz**

17

(Wednesday Night)

"Dammit, Bobby's been trying to call." Dean sighed, checking his phone as he turned off the engine, arriving back in South Dakota. "Hope everything's ok. Did he try calling you?"

"Battery died back in Ohio." Sam told him, "I'm sure everything's fine."

"Abbie, Bobby, we're back!" Dean walked into the house.

"They here?" Sam asked.

"Nope." Dean pulled out his cell, trying to call Bobby.

"Dean." Sam walked through to the kitchen, "They're at the hospital." He held up a note Bobby had left for them.

"Damn." Dean grunted, "C'mon." They walked back out to the Impala. "The note say what's wrong?"

"Nope, just 'gone to the hospital'." Sam explained, "Hope the girls are ok."

Dean sped along to the hospital and ran inside, "My uhh, wife, or my daughter's been brought in. With a Bobby Singer." He pulled out his phone, "Umm 3 hours ago?"

"Name?" The receptionist asked.

"Abbie and Bethany." Dean supplied, not knowing if they would be Winchester, West or another alias.

She typed in. "Date of Birth on any of them?"

"Umm Abbie 2-10-81, Beth 4-18-08."

"Ah, there we are. Abigail Singer?"

"Yeah, that's her." Dean sighed with relief. "Where is she? Is she ok? What happened?"

"One question at a time, Sir."

"I'm sorry, where is she?" Dean calmed slightly.

"According to this, she's under Dr Jackson, OB/GYN, collapsed at home. Ward 3, Room 6."

"Thank you." Sam told the receptionist, as Dean had already ran towards the stairs.

"Bobby?" Dean seen Bobby outside Abbie's room, Beth asleep in his lap.

"I tried calling, Dean."

"I know, I know. Bad cell reception on the road. We got here as soon as we could. What happened Bobby?"

"I was in the kitchen with Bug, heard a thud in the living room. Thank God she wasn't upstairs. Went into the living room and she was just lying there. Wouldn't wake up or anything. I had to call an ambulance."

"They say what's wrong?"

"Been running tests, but she wasn't bleeding, so that's a good thing I guess."

"I'm gonna go in." Dean opened the door to find out what was going in.

"Dean?" Abbie asked weakly from where she was lying on the bed, a nurse fixing an IV for her.

"Hey honey, how you feeling?" Dean walked over and took her hand.

"Dad I presume?" The nurse smiled at him.

"Yeah, I'm him. The babies' dad ob-obviously." Dean stuttered. "I was away, working." He felt he had to defend himself for not being there when Abbie needed him. "What happened?"

"One minute I'm tidying up Beth's toys, next I'm in here. They told me I fainted."

"Collapsed, Abbie." The nurse corrected her, "Fainting wouldn't have you in here in an ambulance and staying overnight.

"Overnight?" Dean asked the nurse. "That serious?"

"Dehydration and exhaustion can be, especially when..." The nurse stopped herself, "I'll leave you to it."

"Something you need to tell me?" Dean asked Abbie once the nurse had walked out.

"You already know." Abbie told him, "Dr Jackson thinks, shock horror, that it's twins."

"Wow, shocker." Dean laughed, "You ok?"

"Apart from feeling like a pin cushion and that my death warrant's been signed?"

"Don't talk like that, we got Sam back on our team, I've already changed the future."

"Bleeding out isn't an apocalyptic thing, Dean. Maybe we just need to accept-"

"I'm not accepting that, we stick to the plan. We find out where the nearest hospital is no matter where we are, how to get there quick, ok?"

"Sure." Abbie nodded, hoping to placate him. "I'm quite tired, Dean. I think I'm gonna try sleep some."

"You want me to stay until you're asleep?" Dean offered.

"No, you should get Beth home to bed."

"K, I'll send Sam and Bobby in to say goodnight." He kissed her lightly, then walked out.

"How is she?" Sam asked, jumping up when Dean walked back out, "Can we take her home?"

"Not tonight, Sammy. She's dehydrated and exhausted, they want to keep her overnight." Dean explained, "Doc told her it was twins, so she's a little freaked out, with the future and stuff, I offered to stay until she fell asleep, but she wants me to take Beth home."

"We can take Beth home. You should stay with Abbie." Sam told him, "You'll spend all night worrying about her otherwise."

"You don't mind?" Dean asked.

"Of course we don't mind. Sorry this all happened on my watch." Bobby told him, "If I could've gotten out of this damned chair, I could've driven her here myself instead of waiting for an ambulance-"

"Stop it, Bobby. You weren't supposed to be _**watching **_her." Dean answered, "K, I'm gonna go talk to the nurse, tell her I'm staying here. Why don't you guys go in and say goodnight to her?"

"K." Bobby wheeled himself in, followed by Sam. "Hey kid." He greeted Abbie, who was lying on her side, silent tears streaming down her face. "It's ok. You're fine, babies' are fine."

"I know." She sniffed. Bobby and Sam shared a worried glance.

"It's ok to be scared." Sam told her, running a hand through her hair. "We're gonna figure this out."

"Thanks Sam."

"K, we're gonna come pick you guys up tomorrow." Sam hugged her.

"Guys?" Abbie asked.

"Sam and Bobby are taking Beth home, I'm staying here with you." Dean explained, walking back in with a coffee.

"There's no need." Abbie sighed.

"Yes there is." Dean answered, "I'll see you guys tomorrow. I'll call when we can escape."

"Night guys." Sam told them.

"Night." Bobby repeated, following Sam out.

"What's going on in that head of yours?"

"Huh?"

"You're pushing me away."

"You'll hate me." She sighed, turning away from him.

"Hate you? I could never hate you. What's brought all this on?" Dean walked around the bed so he could see her face.

"When the doctor told me, that he thought it was twins...I felt, I felt disappointed, Dean. I thought, as long as we didn't have confirmation that there was a chance..." Dean rubbed at his eyes.

"I understand, I don't hate you."Dean told her.

"Tell me about them?"

Dean was reminded of telling RJ about Abbie in the future. "I only really saw RJ."

"Robert John?" Abbie asked, "After his grandpas."

"That's right." Dean smiled, "He's a quiet little thing. He's got fair hair like Beth, needs glasses to read though."

"Poor kid's got my eyesight." Abbie laughed, "Destined for a life of glasses and contacts."

"His dad didn't tell him much about you in the future, he had to ask me what you were like. Cas told him he was like you." Dean smiled sadly, "Can't wait to meet him, and Noah, of course under better circumstances."

"Me too." Abbie yawned.

"In order to do that, you need to take better care of yourself." Dean told her, "I'm serious, babe." Abbie nodded at him, "Sleep, I'll be right here."

(Two weeks later)

"Dean, what do you make of this?" Abbie showed him an article on her laptop. "Teenage girl died, something clawed into her skull while she was babysitting."

"Does it say what the something is?" Dean asked, reading.

"Nope." Abbie answered, "I think we should check out Alliance, Nebraska."

"_**We **_should?" Dean questioned.

"Yeah, aren't you supposed to be watching my every move?" Abbie sniped, still annoyed at the way Dean had been hovering over her for the past two weeks. "Hard to do that when you're there and I'm here."

"Just making sure that you're taking care of yourself and the boys." Dean told her, "You tell Sam what's happening, and I'll get us packed up."

"Hey Sam." Abbie walked out to the porch where Sam was talking to Bobby. "Got something in Nebraska. You in?"

"Sure." He turned to Bobby, "You be ok?"

"Need to cope on my own at some point." Bobby told him, "I'll be fine, honest. You ok going?" He asked Abbie.

"Yeah, course. We don't even know what we're dealing with, might be nothing. Doubt Dean's gonna let me neat anything dangerous anyway." Abbie laughed. "Dean wants to leave ASAP."

"On it." Sam followed Abbie back inside.

(At the motel, next day)

"We're off to see the coroner. You stay here with Beth." Dean told Abbie, putting on his suit jacket.

She mock saluted him, "I'll look through the newspaper, see if there's any more cases of people with their brains clawed out." She picked up the paper, "Call me."

(At the coroner's)

"Agents Page and Plant, FBI." Dean told the coroner as he and Sam both flashed their badges.

"Gentlemen. What brings you by?"

"We need to see Amber Freer's body."

"Really? What for?" The doctor asked.

"The police report said something clawed through her skull?"

"You didn't read the autopsy report that I emailed out this morning?" The doctor frowned at Dean.

"W-we had, uh, server issues." Sam covered up, as the doctor pulled open once of the freezers.

The doctor nodded to the body, "When they brought her in, we thought she was attacked by a wolf or something."

"Or something." Dean mumbled, looking at the body.

"But we were wrong."

The doctor picked up a bag from the slab, showing it to them, "Is that a-" Sam squinted at the bag.

"It's a press-on nail. We found it in her temporal lobe."

"Is that even possible?" Sam questioned, glancing at Dean.

"Wait, are you-you saying that she did this to herself?" Dean asked.

"Uh-huh. She scratched her brains out. It'd take hours, and it'd hurt like hell, but sure-it's possible."

"How?"

"Pick your acronym—OCD, PCP. It all spells crazy." The doctor shook his head. "My guess, some kind of phantom itch. I mean, an extreme case, but..."

"Phantom itch?"

"Yup." The doctor pulled the sheet back up over Amber, and slid her body back into the freezer, "All it takes is someone talking about an itch-or thinking about one, even-and suddenly you can't stop scratching."

"Thanks, doc." Sam answered, scratching at his collar.

"Time to go see the place where she died?" Dean asked Sam, who nodded.

(At the house)

"Okay. Okay, now, some of these questions might seem a bit odd, but please just bear with me." Sam told the boy's parents. "Have you noticed any cold spots in the house?"

"Uh...no."

"Okay, uh, what about strange smells?"

Dean meanwhile was talking to the young boy, "Whatcha lookin' for?" The boy asked him.

"Don't know yet." Dean walked closer to him, "It's, uh, Jimmy, right?" The boy nodded, "So, Amber was your babysitter?"

"Yes, sir."

"Yeah, most of my babysitters sucked." Dean told him, "Especially Ms. Chancey. She only cared about two things. _Dynasty_ and bedtime." Dean laughed at the thought, "Did you, uh, you see anything strange that night?"

"No, sir."

"You sure about that?"

"I-I would tell you if I knew something." Jimmy seemed nervous, "I promise. One hundred percent. Cross my heart."

"Well, Jimmy, I, uh...I happen to know you're lying." Dean took a chance.

"I'm not." Jimmy protested.

Dean put a hand on Jimmy's shoulder, "We gonna start talking truth, or are you and me gonna have to take a little trip downtown?"

"It was itching powder." He admitted, pulling the pack from his pocket and handed it to Dean. "Am I in trouble?"

"No." Dean told him, "Where, uh, did you get it?"

"Joke shop in town. Conjurarium"

"Thank you." Dean walked through to Sam, "I think we're done here. Thanks."

"Yeah, thanks, we'll be in touch if there's anything else." Sam told the family, following Dean to the front door. "Well?"

Dean produced the packet, "Kid said he put this on the babysitter's hairbrush."

"Dean, there's no way itching powder made that girl scratch her brains out. It's just ground-up maple seeds."

"If you have any other theories, I'm open to 'em." Dean answered, as his cell phone went off, he answered it. "Yeah? ...Yeah, we'll be right there." He hung up, "That was Abbie, apparently local newspaper reported a guy being electrocuted yesterday. They're still looking into what happened."

"Hospital then?" Sam asked.

"Yep, then we need to stop off at the store. Ice cream emergency apparently." Dean sighed starting the engine, while Sam just laughed.


	18. Chapter 18

18

"Any idea how this happened?" Dean asked one of the doctors, referring to the electrocution.

"Eh, maybe a loose wire or a piece of equipment shorted out. So far, we haven't found anything."

"Witnesses?"

"Yeah, guy in there-Mr. Stanley." The doctor nodded to an old man, sitting staring out of the window. "He says he saw it, but he's not making a lick of sense. Senile."

"Thanks." Sam answered, as he and Dean walked into the room, "Um, Mr. Stanley?"

"It was just a joke. I didn't know it would really work." Mr Stanley told them.

"What would work?" Dean frowned.

"All I did was shake his hand." Mr Stanley held out his hand, he had a joy buzzer.

"Mind if I take this?" Dean asked.

"Sure, sure. Be careful though." The old man warned.

(Back at the motel)

"What the-?" Abbie asked, as Dean walked in with a large uncooked ham. "I said ice cream, not half a damn pig."

"Chill, I got your ice cream." He handed her a tub.

"So, explain the ham. You having sympathy cravings for ham?" She laughed.

"All will become clear. Put Beth in her play pen and put these on." He handed her some goggles, she put Beth in her play pen and followed him through to the kitchen.

"Sam, what's going on?"

"We just need to test something." Sam explained, as Dean adjusted his goggles, and picked up the buzzer.

"You ready?"

"Hit it, Mr. Wizard." Sam put on his goggles.

Dean held the joy buzzer over the ham, hesitated, and pressed it to the ham. Electricity crackled and steam rose from the ham as it changed color. When the ham was blackened, Dean removed the joy buzzer. The ham sizzled. "That'll do, pig."

"What the hell?" Sam examined the ham, "That crap isn't supposed to work."

"This thing doesn't even have batteries."

"So...so, what? Are-are we looking at cursed objects?" Abbie asked, still staring at the ham.

"Sounds good." Dean pulled out a knife, and cut off a piece of the ham, eating it.

"Dean!" Abbie pulled a face.

"It's good ham." Dean protested, cutting off a piece and handing it to her, she nodded in agreement as she chewed. "Maybe there's a powerful witch in town." Dean suggested. "Is there any link between the, uh, the joy buzzer and the itching powder?"

"They were both bought from the same store." Sam answered.

"To the joke store then?" Abbie asked.

"Sounds good."

(At the conjurarium)

They walked into the store. "Look at this!" Dean held up a whoopee cushion, Sam sighed and shook his head. Dean held the cushion out to Beth who he was carrying.

"It's like having two kids." Abbie mumbled, as Dean squeezed the cushion to make a funny noise and Beth laughed.

The owner of the shop appeared at the checkout counter. "Welcome to the Conjurarium, sanctum of magic and mystery."

Sam walked up to the counter, "You the owner?"

"Yep."

"You sold any itching powder or joy buzzers lately?" Dean asked, joining Sam at the counter.

"Yeah, a grand total of one of each. They aren't exactly big-ticket items. Look, you boys here to buy something or what?" Dean pulled some money from his wallet and paid for the whoopee cushion.

"So, you get many customers?"

"Kids come in. They don't buy much, but they're more than happy to break stuff. These days, all they care about are their iPhones and those kissing-vampire movies. The whole thing makes me just-" The owned answered.

"Angry?" Abbie asked.

The owner nodded, "Yeah. Yeah, I am angry. This shop has been my life for twenty years, and now it's wasting away to nothing."

"Which is why you hate them." Dean supplied. "You wish there was something you could do about it."

"Yeah, I guess I do."

"So you're taking revenge." Dean continued, pulling a rubber chicken from the display, "With this." He held up the joy buzzer and pressed it to the chicken. Electricity crackled as the chicken melted. Abbie bolted from the shop.

"Oh! No!" The owner stared at the chicken, speechless. Dean and Sam watched him curiously.

"Uh thanks." Dean walked out of the door, leaving Sam to apologise for frightening the owner. He joined Dean outside, who was rubbing Abbie's back, concerned. Dean handed Beth to Sam.

"What happened?" Sam asked.

"Burning rubber not a great odour for Abs." Dean explained, "You ok now?"

"Mmm-hmm." She nodded, "Bit of warning next time you plan to burn a rubber chicken though."

"C'mon, let's get you back to the motel. Something tells me this guy is not a powerful witch." Sam told them as they walked back to the car.

(At the motel)

"So if it's not cursed objects, then what is it?" Abbie asked as they watched TV in the motel room that night, while Beth slept.

"I dunno...freak happenings?" Dean suggested, leafing through a car magazine. "Maybe I should've kept the buzzer instead of burning it, it cooked that ham in a matter of seconds."

"Always thinking of food." Abbie laughed, "So, we haul ass outta here tomorrow?"

"Unless something else happens." Sam answered, "I'm coming up with nothing here." He closed over his laptop.

(Next morning)

"Agent Plant." Dean answered his cell phone. "Yes, yes. We'll be there as soon as we can. Thank you."

"What's going on?" Abbie walked out of the bathroom with Beth, "We're not going home, are we?"

"Afraid not." Dean answered, taking Beth from Abbie and beginning to dress her, "That was the doctor we spoke to yesterday. A man was brought into the hospital this morning, someone broke into his house and removed all his teeth."

"All his teeth?" Abbie repeated, "Ouch. Freaky, but is it one for us?"

"Well, ummm, that's the thing, he claims it was the, wait for it, the tooth fairy. Woke up with 32 quarters and no teeth."

"Ok, that sounds, ummm, interesting." Abbie nodded, "I don't see how this is related to the joke store."

"Officially a weird one." Sam agreed, walking through to shower and change into his suit.

(Later that morning)

"Well, I, uh, appreciate that, Nurse...Fremont." Dean read the nurse's name tag.

"Please - call me Jen."

"Oh. Jen it is." Dean smiled at the nurse, while Sam walked out of the room where the toothless man was, Sam cleared his throat, reminding Dean they were there to work. "Just enjoying the scenery."

"Well, be glad it was me that caught you and not your hormonal wife."

"I did nothing wrong, anyway what's up with Toothless? Cavity creeps get a hold of him?"

"Yeah. Close. He wrote up a description." Sam began to read from his notebook, "Five foot ten, three hundred fifty pounds, wings, and a pink tutu. Said it was the tooth fairy."

"So he's obviously whacked out on painkillers."

"Maybe. Whatever it was got past locked doors and windows without triggering the alarm."

"And it left thirty-two quarters underneath his pillow. One for each tooth." Dean remembered from his phone call, "Tooth fairy."

"Well, I will see your crazy and raise you some. There's a couple of kids upstairs with stomach ulcers-say they got it from mixing Pop Rocks and Coke." Abbie had joined them in the corridor, " Another guy...his face...froze that way." Abbie had joined them in the corridor.

"What way?" Dean asked, raising his eyebrows.

"Take Beth for a second." Abbie handed Beth over, then made sure no one was watching, then, pulled out the sides of her mouth, and crossed her eyes, making Dean, Beth and Sam laugh.

"Very sexy." Dean commented, laughing, before being serious again.

"He, uh, held it too long, and it-it stuck. They're flying in a plastic surgeon."

"Mama." Beth reached back for her mom, giggling.

"Yeah, momma's funny, huh Beth?" Dean agreed, handing her back.

"If you add all that up..." Sam continued analysing, "I got nothing.

"I thought sea-monkeys were real." Dean started as they walked back towards the car.

"They are. They're brine shrimp."

"No, no, no, I mean like in the ads. You know, like the sea-monkey wife cooks the pot roast for the sea-monkey husband, and the sea-monkey kids play with the dog in a sea-monkey castle-real. I mean, I was six, but I believed it. Point is... maybe that's the connection. The tooth fairy, the Pop Rocks and Coke, the joy buzzer that shocks you-they're all lies that kids believe."

"And now they're coming true. Okay, so whatever's doing this is-is reshaping reality. It has the powers of a god. Or-" Sam rolled his eyes, "-of a trickster."

"Yeah, with the sense of humor of a nine-year-old." Dean finished.

"Or you." Abbie pointed out, "Trickster, huh? Great him again."

"When did you-" Dean began, then remembered the trickster 'killing' Dean several times, to get her and Sam used to the idea of him not being there. "Oh. That's not gonna happen again, Abbie. I mean, it might not even be him."

"Let's hope it's not." She sighed, getting into the car.

"You guys go back to the motel, I'm just gonna check something out." Sam told them, "Beth, you wanna come keep Uncle Sam company?"

"Sam!" Beth grinned, holding her arms out to him.

"Won't be long." He put her into her stroller and walked away from them.

(Later that afternoon)

Sam walked in holding a map, "Dude, seriously-still with the ham?"

"We don't have a fridge."

"Well, I found something." Sam told him, "Where's Abbie?"

"Nap. Nausea pretty bad today."

"K, well." Sam put the map on the table, "Um, tooth fairy attack was here, Pop Rocks and Coke was here, then you've got itching powder, face freeze, and joy buzzer-all located within a two-mile radius."

"So, we got a blast zone of weird, and inside, fantasy becomes reality."

"Looks like." Sam nodded.

"What's the A-bomb at its center?"

"Four acres of farmland...and a house."

"Our motel isn't in that circle, by any chance?" Dean asked, looking awkward.

"Yeah. Why?" Dean paused, then held up his right hand, palm covered in hair. Sam screwed up his face. "Ugh, dude-" Sam sighed, picking Beth out of the stroller and walking away from Dean, "That's not what I think it is, is it?"

"I got bored. Abbie was tired, and man, have you seen her..." Dean held his hands up to his chest area, "since she got pregnant again." Dean grinned.

"Dean, she's your wife, I don't look at her-" Sam huffed, "You know you can go blind from that, too." Sam reminded Dean.

"Give me five minutes. We'll go check out that house." Dean told him, walking away.

"Hey, do not use my razor!" Sam called after him.

"Razor, what?" Abbie yawned, walking into the kitchen of the motel room.

"We kinda have a theory..." Sam started before explaining the whole story.

"So, what now? We're off to the farmhouse?"

"We? No. You and Beth are staying here, we don't know, what the hell's going on there." Dean joined them. He gave Beth a quick hug before putting her back in her play pen, "We'll call."

"K." Abbie sighed, a bit fed up at being left out again. "Don't get into too much trouble, k?"

"We won't." Dean told her, rolling his eyes, and heading out to the car.


	19. Chapter 19

19

(Farmhouse)

"This the place?" Dean asked Sam, who nodded. "K, let's roll."

Sam walked up to the door, and automatically began to pick the lock, standing up when the door was opened by a boy. "Can I help you?" The boy asked them.

"Hi. Uh, what's your name?" Sam asked him.

"Who wants to know?" The boy replied.

Sam and Dean glanced at each other, "The, uh..." Dean showed his badge to the boy. "FBI."

"Let me see that." The boy held out his hand for Dean's badge, "So, what, you guys don't knock?"

"Are your parents home?" Sam asked him.

"They work." The boy explained.

"Well, you mind if we ask you a few questions, maybe take a look around the house?"

"I don't know." The boy answered.

"Come on. You can trust us. We're the authorities." Dean smiled at him, holding up his badge again, the boy remained unconvinced and walked through to the kitchen.

"What's that?" Sam asked the boy, who was making something at the stove.

"It's called soup. You heat it up and you eat it."

Sam chucked, "Right. I, I know. It's just, um...I used to make my own dinner, too, when I was a kid."

"Well, I'm not a kid."

Dean noticed at picture on the fridge. "Right. No, I, I know. Um..." Sam held out a hand to the boy, "I'm Robert, by the way."

"Jesse." The boy shook Sam's hand.

"Jesse, nice to meet you." Sam told him, while Dean held a picture from the fridge out to the boy.

"Did you draw this?"

"It's the tooth fairy."

"That's what you think the tooth fairy looks like, huh?" Dean showed the picture to Sam.

"Yeah. My dad told me about him." Jesse explained.

"What, didn't your dad tell you about the tooth fairy?" Jesse asked Dean.

"My dad? My dad told me different stories."

"Well, the tooth fairy isn't a story." Jesse declared.

"What do you know about itching powder, Jesse?"

"That stuff will make you scratch your brains out."

"Pop Rocks and Coke?" Dean continued.

"You mix them, and you'll end up in the hospital. Everyone knows that." Dean pulled the joy buzzer from his pocket, "You shouldn't have that." Jesse looked worried, seeing it in Dean's hand. "It can electrocute you."

"Actually, it can't. It's just a wind-up toy. It's totally harmless. Doesn't even have batteries." Dean told him.

"So it can't shock you?" This was a revelation to Jesse.

"Nope. Not at all. I swear. I mean, all it does is just shake in your hand. It's kind of lame. See?" He held it up to Sam's chest, and pushed it, "What did you say your name was, again?"

(At the motel)

"I had a hunch. I went with it." Dean was explaining.

"You risked my ass on a hunch?" Sam exclaimed, "Gee thanks Dean."

"Dean, what did you do?" Abbie asked, from where she was lying in bed, sharing some ice cream with Beth.

"Your husband could have killed me!"

"You look fine."

"You're fine." Dean told him, "He's fine." He told Abbie, "Sam's just over reacting. Besides, now we know who's turning this town into Willy Wonka's worst nightmare."

"The kid."

"Kid?" Abbie asked, "It's a kid? Not some mega warlock?"

"Seems to be, dunno what he's doing though, but everything he believes, the tooth fairy, the pop rocks, they happen for real." Dean explained, grabbing Abbie's spoon and stealing some ice cream. "Yeah, but convince him the joy buzzers don't actually work, and they go from killing machines back into crap toys."

"Dean, stealing from your own sons. Shocking!" Abbie laughed.

"He probably doesn't even know he's doing it." Sam sighed, "I think we need to find out more about Jesse."

(Later that afternoon)

Dean was on the bed, reading to Beth, when Abbie and Sam, dressed in suits came back. "So, dug up what I could on Jesse Turner. It's not much. Uh, B student, won last year's Pinewood Derby. But get this. Jesse was adopted. His birth records are sealed." Sam told him.

"So you unsealed them, and?"

"There's no father listed, but Jesse's biological mom is named Julia Wright. She lives in Elk Creek, on the other side of the state."

"No father? Well that's just impossible. Hiding something?"

"Let's go ask her." Abbie suggested, "Find out what the story is with Daddy-o."

(At the house)

"Wait in the car, ok?" Dean told Abbie, as Beth was asleep in the car.

Dean followed Sam up to the door, and rung the doorbell, "Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested." Julia told them.

"We're not salesmen. Agents Page and Plant, FBI." Sam and Dean held their badges up to the peep-hole.

"Put your badge in the slot. Your partner's, too." Dean did as asked and a moment later the door opened, Julia handed their badges back, "What do you want?"

"We just had a few questions. About your son."

"I don't have a son."

"He was born March 29th, 1998, in Omaha." Dean told her, not understanding how she could do it. "You gave him away."

"You put him up for adoption?" Sam took over again.

"What about him?"

"We were just wondering, um, was it...was it a normal pregnancy?" Sam asked her.

"Was there anything strange?" Dean continued.

Julia slammed the door, "Stay away from me!"

"Mrs. Wright, wait!" Dean pushed the door open and followed her inside, she tried to hide in the kitchen but couldn't keep the door closed against Sam and Dean, "We just want to talk!" Julia grabbed a canister of salt and threw the contents at them, staring in disbelief when nothing happened.

"You're not demons?"

"How do you know about demons?" Dean asked her. "Tell us what happened."

"I...uhh...it's crazy."

"Look, I'm gonna be honest here. We're not FBI, we're specialists in this type of thing." Sam explained, "There's actually someone outside who understands completely."

"Sam..." Dean glared at him.

"Abbie can help, Dean. She's been there."

"She's pregnant, Sam." Dean reminded him, Sam turned on the puppy dog eyes. "Fine. I'll go get her and Beth." Dean huffed, walking out. Reappearing a few moments later with Abbie and a sleepy Beth.

"I'll make us some tea." Julia offered, "Go on through to the living room, I'll bring it through." She appeared with a tray a few minutes later. "You're pregnant?" She nodded to Abbie.

"Yeah, 12 weeks." Abbie smiled, "Twins."

"He said you would understand, you're were possessed too? The babies?"

"I was possessed 2 years ago, before I met Dean and Sam, before we had Beth. Dean and I are married-"

"I didn't mean to offend, it's just when he said-"

"It's ok." Abbie assured her, "Tell us what happened to you."

"I was possessed. A demon took control of my body, and I hurt people. I killed people."

"That, that wasn't you." Sam told her.

"But I was there. I heard a woman beg for mercy. I...felt a young girl's blood drip down my hands."

"That's how you knew about the salt." Dean realised.

"Yeah, I picked up tricks. It was in my head for months." Julia explained, "You?"

"Umm, about a year."

"How many months for you?"

"Nine."

"So your son..." Sam trailed off.

"Yeah, the whole time. The pregnancy, birth - all of it. I was possessed. The night the baby was born, I was alone. And the pain was - the pain was overwhelming. I, I screamed, and it came out a laugh, because the demon was happy. It used my body to give birth to a child. When it was over, something changed. Maybe the-the demon was tired or if the pain helped me fight it, but...  
Somehow, I took control."

"Oh God." Abbie could still remember Beth's birth clearly and couldn't imagine going through that alone.

"And the demon wailed inside me. It pounded against my skull. I thought my head was gonna explode. But I knew. I knew what I had to do. I poured salt down my throat, and then it was gone. And when I was alone with the baby...A part of me...part of me wanted to kill it." Dean subconsciously held Beth closer to him, "But, God help me, I couldn't do that. So, I put it up for adoption, and I ran."

"Who was the father?" Dean asked.

"I was a virgin." Dean raised his eyebrows at Sam. "Have you seen my son? Is he human?"

"His name's Jesse. He lives in, uh, Alliance. He's a good kid."

"Good." Julia nodded. "Good."

"You're very brave." Abbie told her.

"I gave my son away."

"You were protecting him." Dean put a hand on her shoulder, "Look, that's all we need for now." He handed her a business card, "Anything else happens, or you remember more, call us."

"I-I will. Thank you." She showed them to the door.

"So, now what?" Sam asked Dean.

"We need help." Dean pulled out his cell phone.

(Back at the motel)

They walked in, "Holy-" Dean got a fright, seeing Castiel waiting for them.

"Hey Cas." Abbie smiled at him.

"I take it you got our message."

"It's lucky you found the boy." Castiel told them.

"Oh, yeah, real lucky. What do we do with him?" Dean asked, putting Beth in her crib.

"Kill him."

"Cas, he's 11." Abbie was horrified, "He's a child!"

"This child is half demon and half human, but it's far more powerful than either. Other cultures call this hybrid cambion or katako. You know him as the antichrist." Castiel moved to sit at the table, when a fart noise emanated from his seat, "That wasn't me." He told them, unnecessarily. Pulling out a whoopee cushion from under his seat. Dean tried to stop from laughing.

"Dean, more serious things going on here." Abbie reminded him. "We are not killing a kid, Cas."

"Anyway, I don't get it. Jesse is the devil's son?" Sam asked.

Castiel sighed, "No, of course not. Your Bible gets more wrong than it does right. The Antichrist is not Lucifer's child. It's just demon spawn. But it is one of the devil's greatest weapons in the war against heaven."

"Well, if Jesse's a demonic howitzer, then what the hell's he doing in Nebraska?"

"The demons lost him. They can't find him. But they're looking."

"And they lost him because?"

"Because of the child's power. It hides him from both angels and demons. For now."

"So he's got, like, a force field around him. Well, that's great. Problem solved." Abbie told Castiel, "We don't need to kill him then, no one can find him."

"You found him." Castiel explained, "With Lucifer risen, this child grows strong. Soon, he will do more than just make a few toys come to life-something that will draw the demons to him. The demons will find this child. Lucifer will twist this boy to his purpose. And then, with a word, this child will destroy the Host of Heaven."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa. Wait. You're saying that-that Jesse's gonna nuke the angels?"

"Can't we use him to kill Lucifer?" Abbie asked, "Make him work for us instead of against us?"

"We cannot allow that to happen."

"Wait. We're the good guys. We-we don't just-kill children." Sam protested.

"Finally!" Abbie exclaimed, "Thank you Sam." She glared at Dean.

"A year ago, you would have done whatever it took to win this war." Castiel reminded them.

"Things change." Sam was furious, Dean stepped in to separate Sam and Castiel.

"Okay. Hey, look, we are not going to kill him. All right? But we can't leave Jesse here either. We know that. So...we take him to Bobby's. He'll know what to do."

"You'll kidnap him? What is going on in this town, it's what happens when this thing is happy. You cannot imagine what it will do if it's angry. Besides, how will you hold him? With a thought, he could be halfway around the world."

"Thing?" Abbie looked at Cas, "Thing? He's a little boy. He doesn't know he's doing these things!"

"So we-" Dean started.

"So we tell him the truth. You say Jesse's destined to go dark side-fine. But he hasn't yet. So if we lay it all out for him-what he is, the apocalypse, everything-he might make the right choice." Sam suggested.

"You didn't. And I can't take that chance." Castiel responded then disappeared.

"Damn it." Sam growled.

"Dean, you cannot be considering-"

"I'm-I dunno-if we lose then I lose you both, Abbie."

"You hurt that boy, you're gonna lose your boys too, Dean, 'cause I'll be outta here so fast."

"K, fine. We'll work something out." Dean told her.

"Where did Cas go? You don't think he'd try and hurt Jesse, do you?" Abbie asked Dean. "We need to get to Jesse's."

"Whoa, Sam and I need to-"

"Beth and I are coming too, Dean. Someone needs to look out for the kid."

"Abbie-"

"Sam can you take Beth out to the car for me?"

"Uhhh, Dean?" Sam asked.

"Well, we can't really leave Beth here alone, can we?" Dean sighed, "I'll take her, Sam." He turned to Abbie, "Things get hairy, you're outta there, you got me? We'll go, talk some sense into Cas if he's there and we go."

"Yes Sir." Abbie saluted, grabbing her cell phone and walking out to the Impala.

(At Jesse's)

Jesse was in the kitchen, pouring himself a glass of water when Castiel appeared in front of him, scaring him. "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you." Castiel told him.

"Mom! Dad!" Jesse yelled.

"Your mother and father are sleeping. I assure you, they won't wake until morning." Castiel informed him, "I'm sorry." Castiel raised the knife he had brought with him, just as Dean and Sam kicked in the front door.

"Was there a guy here? In a trench coat?" Dean asked, breathlessly. Jesse pointed to the floor, where there was now an action figure wearing Castiel's clothes and holding a knife. Abbie picked it up.

"Was he your friend?" Jesse asked her.

"Him? No." Dean answered for her, as Beth grabbed the figure, putting it in her mouth, Dean took it from her, "Don't eat Uncle Cas, Beth."

"I did that. But how did I do that?" Jesse asked, watching as Dean placed Cas on the mantelpiece.

"You're a superhero." Dean told him.

"I am?"

"Yeah. Yeah. I mean, who else could turn someone into a toy? You're Superman, minus the cape and the go-go boots. See, the guys and I, we work for a secret government agency. It's our job to find kids with special powers. In fact, we're here to take you to a hidden base in South Dakota, where you'll be trained to fight evil." Abbie explained to him. "What do you say? Sounds great, huh?"

"Like the X-Men?"

"Exactly like the X-Men." Dean grinned. "In fact, the, uh, guy we're taking you to, he's even in a wheelchair. You'll be a hero. You'll save lives. You'll get the girl. Sounds like fun, right?" All of a sudden, Dean was flung against the wall, and a possessed Julia walked in.

"They're lying to you." The demon told Jesse, as Sam stood up, only to find himself flung against the wall. "Stay right there, dreamboat. Can't hurt you. Orders." She told Sam, then turned to Dean, "You, on the other hand? Hurting you's encouraged." She flung Dean to the opposite wall.

"No! Uh! Abbie, get Jesse and get outta here!" Abbie stood up, ready to run, but the demon pinned her to her seat.

"Leave them alone!" Jesse ordered the demon.

The demon leant down to Jesse, "Jesse. You're beautiful. You have your father's eyes."

"Who are you?"

"I'm your mother."

"No, you're not." Jesse shook his head.

"Mm-hm. You're half human...half one of us."

"She means demons, Jesse!" Dean told him, as the demon punched him hard in the gut.

"Those people you call your parents, they lied to you, too. You're not theirs, not really."

"Don't listen to her Jesse." Abbie begged him, still stuck to her chair.

"My mom and dad love me."

"That's right." Abbie nodded to him.

"Do they? Is-is that why they leave you alone all day? Because they love you so much? These people-these imposters-they told you that the tooth fairy was real and that your toys could hurt you and a hundred other things that aren't true. They love you so much, they made your whole life a lie. Look into your heart, Jesse. You've always known you weren't theirs. You've always known you were different. Everyone has lied to you. They're not FBI agents. And you're not a superhero."

"Then what am I?"

"You're powerful. You can have anything you want. You can do anything you want."

"Don't listen to her, Jesse!" Dean told him.

"They treated you like a child. Nobody trusted you. Everybody's lied to you. Doesn't that make you angry?" Jesse clenched his fist, the room rattled. "See? It does make you angry. But I'm telling you the truth, Jesse." Things began to shatter in the room. "Wouldn't it be better if there were no lies? Come with me and you can wash it all clean. Start over. Imagine that, a world without lies."

"She's right. We lied to you." Abbie told Jesse, "We were trying to help you."

"But I'll tell you the truth." Sam continued for Abbie as the demon raised a fist stopping Abbie from speaking. "I just want...to tell..." The demon began to choke Sam also.

"Stop it." Jesse ordered the demon, both Abbie and Sam were released, "I want to hear what he has to say."

"We lied to you. And I'm sorry. So here's the truth. I'm Sam Winchester. That's my brother, Dean. His wife Abbie, his daughter Beth. W-we hunt monsters."

"Except when you are the monster. Right, Sammy?" The demon taunted.

"And that woman right there, her name is Julia. She's your mother. But the thing inside of her, the thing that you're talking to—it's a demon."

"A demon?" Jesse asked, turning to face Abbie.

"Yeah, Jesse. It's scary, I know." She told him, standing up and rubbing the scared boys shoulder.

"They've done nothing but lie to you since the moment you met them. Don't listen to them. Punish them."

"Sit down and shut up." A chair scooted up behind the demon, who was forced into it, unable to speak. Jesse looked at Sam, wanting him to finish.

"There's, uh, kind of a...a war between angels and demons, and...you're a part of it."

"I'm just a kid."

"We know." Abbie told him.

"You can go with her if you want. I can't stop you. No one can. But if you do...millions of people will die."

"She said I was half demon. Is that true?" Jesse turned to Abbie, who had tears streaming down her face, she looked up at Sam, unable to answer.

"Yes. But you're half human, too. You can do the right thing. You've got choices, Jesse. But if you make the wrong ones, it'll haunt you for the rest of your life." Sam answered.

"Why are you telling me this?" Jesse exclaimed.

"Because I have to believe someone can make the right choice, even if I couldn't." Sam explained.

Jesse thought for a moment, then clenched his fist, glaring at his possessed mother, "Get out of her." The chair flew back and black smoke poured out of Julia's mouth, Dean fell to the ground.

"How did you do that?" Dean asked, shocked.

"I just did." Jesse shrugged.

"Kid...you're awesome." Dean grinned at him.

Jesse looked at Julia , still slumped in her chair, "Is she gonna be all right?"

"Yeah, Jesse. You did good." Abbie assured him, while Dean picked the Castiel action figure up from the floor.

"Look, uh, truth is, he's kind of a buddy of mine. Is there any way you could turn him back?"

"He tried to kill me." Jesse reminded Dean.

"Right. Uh. But he's a—he's a good guy. He was just confused." Abbie tried to reason with Jesse, who didn't look interested.

"Okay. It's been a long night. We'll...talk about it later." Dean walked over to Abbie, putting an arm around her shoulder.

"What now?" Jesse asked, still confused.

"Now we take you some place safe, get you trained up. You'd be handy in a fight, kid."

"What if I don't want to fight?"

"Jesse. You're powerful. More powerful than...pretty much anything we've ever seen. That makes you-" Sam crouched down in front of Jesse.

"A freak." Jesse finished.

"No, Jesse-" Abbie told him.

"To some people, maybe. But not to us. See, we're kind of freaks ourselves." Sam explained.

"I can't stay here, can I?"

"No. The demons know where you are, and more will be coming."

"I won't go without my mom and dad."

"There's nothing more important than family. We get that. And if you really want to take them with you, we'll back your play. But you got to understand-it's gonna be dangerous for them, too."

"What do you mean?"

"Our dad...he would take us with him wherever he went." Dean started.

"Where is he now?" Jesse asked.

"Dead. A demon killed him." Sam answered.

"But you take your little girl with you-"

"And I wish I didn't have to a lot of the time, I wish she could be safe at home with her mom and Grandpa Bobby, but you gotta understand once you're in this fight...You're in it till the end, win or lose."

"What should I do?" Jesse asked Dean.

"We can't tell you. It's your choice. It's not fair. I know."

"You come with us, we'll do everything we can to keep you safe, you have my word, Jesse. You can stay with us at Bobby's, I know we're not your parents, but maybe we could be like a cool Aunt and Uncles. I'm sure Beth would love someone new to play with. You wanna?" Abbie asked him, hoping to persuade him.

"Can I go see my parents? I, I need to...say goodbye."

"Sure." Dean told him, and Jesse walked upstairs.

"God, Dean. That poor kid."

"I know, sweetheart, I know." Dean hugged Abbie and Beth tight, "We're doing what we can though." They waited downstairs, "He's been up there a long time." Dean moved towards the door.

"Let me go check on him." Abbie handed Beth to Dean and walked up to Jesse's room.

"He's gone." Castiel appeared behind Abbie in the room.

"Where?" Abbie sniffed.

"I don't know. Jesse put everyone in town back to normal—the ones still alive. Then he vanished."

Abbie noticed a note, "What does it say?" Dean arrived in the room.

"That he had to leave to keep his parents safe, that he loves them, and he's sorry." Abbie read out, "Jesse..." She shook her head.

"How do we find him?" Dean asked Castiel.

"With the boy's powers, we can't. Not unless he wants to be found." Castiel disappeared.

"You think Jesse's gonna be okay?" Dean asked Sam, Abbie had fallen asleep in the back of the car, exhausted emotionally and physically by the night's events.

"I hope so."

"You know, we destroyed that kid's life by telling him the truth." Dean pointed out to Sam.

"We didn't have a choice, Dean."

"Yeah. You know, I'm starting to get why parents lie to their kids. You want them to believe that the worst thing out there is mixing Pop Rocks and Coke-protect them from the real evil. You want them going to bed feeling safe. If that means lying to them, so be it. The more I think about it...the more I wish Dad had lied to us. I never thought I'd say this, but I'm gonna lie to Beth and the boys so much."

"Me too, Dean. Me too."


	20. Chapter 20

20

"You ok?" Dean asked Abbie once they'd arrived back home, and were settling down to go to sleep.

"Hmm?" She was distracted. "What?"

"You're not really here, are you?"

"Sorry, I just can't forget about Jesse. Poor kid's out there on his own. He's 11, Dean."

"And he's the Antichrist." Dean reminded her. "He'll be fine."

"I just wish he'd have come home with us. We could be looking out for him, keeping him safe." Abbie sighed, rubbing her eyes. "I just worry about him."

"I know, Abs." Dean wrapped an arm around her, "Maybe he'll think himself here one day, just show up."

"You think?" Abbie looked hopeful.

"You never know."

(4 weeks later)

"Guys know what they have yet?" Abbie asked Bobby, Dean and Sam were investigating a case, while Abbie had opted to stay behind with Bobby and Beth.

"It's a strange one." Bobby sighed, "A 25 year old died of old age. And some old guy's miraculously lost a good fifty years."

"No way. Can that happen?"

"Like I told the guys, there's lore on it. Guy claims it was years instead of chips he was playing for in poker."

"Wow. Any other's died?"

"Not so far." Bobby answered, "Hey, uhhhh, how would you, Beth and bump fancy joining the guys for this?"

"You want rid of us?" Abbie frowned, "I know Beth's wreaking havoc, and I'm a complete hormonal nightmare-"

"No, no, no." Bobby told her, seeing her upset, "I mean, I was thinking it was time to get out of this damn house, I'm tired of just being on the end of the phone."

"In that case, count us in." Abbie smiled, "You need a hand to pack some stuff?"

"Nah, I'm good. Why don't you get packed?"

"Sure." She went to grab Beth.

"Leave Bug here if you want." Bobby told her, "She'll be fine on the bed." Abbie placed Beth on the bed, then went upstairs, running back down a few minutes later when she heard Beth wailing. "She-she moved so damn fast, Abbie." Beth had fallen off the bed, Bobby couldn't reach her to pick her up. Abbie picked her up, calming her down. "I'm so sorry, is she ok?"

"I think she's fine, more a fright than anything." Abbie told him, Bobby just remained silent. "Bobby, she's ok. Aren't you?" Beth was still crying, but had calmed down. "So what car do you want me to drive?"

"Umm, I-I was thinking on taking that van I had modified. Save you doing the driving." Bobby suggested. "If you're ok with that?"

"Course I am." Abbie smiled, "Get packed up and I'll take the bags out, and call Dean, find out where they are."

"Don't call Dean, I wanna surprise him."

"Cool, c'mon Beth. You can help me finish packing. Ready to go in fifteen?"

"Sounds good." Bobby continued to pack.

(Later that evening)

"There's the Impala." Abbie pointed to the parking lot of a motel.

Bobby turned into the parking lot, "Let's go get me a room. Then we can track down Dean and Sam."

"Here, let me help." Abbie offered.

"I can manage, anyway, you're not supposed to lift anything too heavy." He nodded to the now noticeable bump.

Abbie held her hands up in surrender, watching as Bobby manoeuvred himself out of the van, and headed towards the reception desk. "Come on, you." She lifted Beth out of the car seat, and followed Bobby inside.

"Abbie?" Sam frowned, seeing her at the reception area, "Hey, what are you doing here?"

"Hey Sam."

"Oh my God, something's happened. The babies? I'll get Dean."

"No, no. Everything's fine, Sam. Bobby just felt like getting back into the game." Abbie nodded to Bobby, at the desk, as he turned and wheeled himself towards them.

"Hiya Sam."

"Bobby, hey. You wanted to help out I hear."

"Yeah, wanted to try out that modified van too."

"You drove here?"

"Hell yeah I did." Bobby was proud of himself. "So, I'm in Room 8."

"We're 6." Sam smiled, moving to take Abbie and Bobby's bags.

"Is Dean there?" Abbie asked, following Sam.

"He's checking out something." Sam answered, "Hey, I can crash with Bobby, let you and Dean have this room. It'll just take 5 minutes to grab my stuff."

"Thanks Sam." Abbie sat down with Beth on the bed.

"You wanna come to the diner with Uncle Sam, Beth?"Sam asked, taking her and her bag, "You want any food?" Abbie shook her head, no. "K, won't be too long." Sam grabbed his bag and walked though to Bobby's room.

"You moving in here?"Bobby asked.

"If that's ok, I figured I'd let Dean and Abbie have our room."

"So, I have you and Beth?" Sam nodded, "Where's Dean at?"

"Looking for the poker game." Sam answered, "I was just going to pick up some food for us."

"It's gone 9pm, Sam."

"Been busy." Sam told him, "You want any food?"

"Nah, might see if I can catch up with Dean." Bobby wheeled himself out of the room.

(At a bar)

"You wouldn't happen to know of a poker game going on in back, would you?" Dean asked the bartender.

"It's a bar, not a casino." Dean pulled something from his pocket, "My friend Ben told me you'd know."

"Don't know any Ben." The bartender told him.

"You sure? 'Cause, uh..." Dean slid a hundred dollar bill across the bar, "He sure seems to know you."

The bartender took the bill, "'Round back. Take the elevator down."

Dean followed the instructions, just to have someone come out of the elevator as he was about to get in, it was Bobby. "Bobby? What the hell are you doing here?"

"Planting daisies. What's it look like? Came in on the case."

"And you beat me here?" Dean was surprised.

"Well, brains trumps legs, apparently." Bobby sniped at him.

"So, you found the game?" Bobby nodded, "Did you stop it?" Bobby didn't answer, "Bobby?"

"Not exactly." He mumbled.

"What did you do?" Dean already suspected what Bobby had done.

"I played, okay? And I lost."

"Are you kidding me? You played some - some he-witch?" Dean exclaimed.

"Don't you take that tone with me." Bobby warned.

"You idiot!"

"They're my years! I can do what I want!"

"How many did you lose?" Dean asked, scared to know the answer.

"Twenty-five." Bobby answered, turning visibly older before Dean's eyes."

"We're not done." Dean told him, as they both got back into the elevator.

Dean walked back into the bar, intent on finding the he witch, he spotted him and walked over to him, grabbing his arm, "Hey, man. Excuse me. Can I borrow you for a sec?" Dean shifted his jacket so that the he witch could see his gun.

"Oh, yeah. Of course. Great. Good to see you." Dean walked towards another table, "Would you two please excuse me?" The witch, named Patrick, followed Dean.

"Sorry to cut you short with Mr. and Mrs. Easy Marks over there."

"Look, I don't know what it is you think I did to your wife or girlfriend-" Dean frowned, not understanding, "-mother or sister, but, uh, I just want you to know, my feelings were real."

"That ain't my problem, man-witch. You owe my friend some years."

"Oh, that's what this is. I'm sorry. He lost. Them's the breaks."

"Well, then un-lose him." Dean cocked his gun.

"Oh, go ahead and shoot me, if it makes you feel better. Besides, I could use a good...you know...tickle. You want years? Great. Play me for 'em."

"Fine." Dean stood up, ready to go play, Bobby joined them.

"Dean, no!"

"They're my years. I can do what I want." At this, Bobby started to cough violently. "All right, all right. Come on. Let's do this."

"You understand the terms?" Patrick asked, putting a red case on the table, he pulled out some poker chips, "Buy-in's twenty-five years."

"Make it fifty." Dean smirked.

"Lannraich gu dealrach a-nis." Light flickered along the chips.

"Twenty-five. That's twenty-five years. They go to him." Dean nodded to Bobby, "And he's cashing out."

"Dean!" Bobby exclaimed.

"You sure?" Patrick asked him.

"Yes."

Patrick nodded and held his hand over the chips, "Las suas agus cuir ás an teine. Mar sin bitheadh." The chips caught fire, turned to ash and blew away, Bobby went back to his normal age. "That's twenty-five years you just pissed away. Better be sure you can win them back."

Dean tapped the chips he had in front of him, "Shuffle up and deal."

Patrick laughed, "This is gonna be fun."

(Back at the motel)

Abbie was watching TV in hers and Dean's room, Sam was still away with Beth, and Bobby had left to find Dean. The motel door opened, and an old man walked in. Abbie jumped up, grabbing the gun she had under the pillow. "Who the hell are you?"

"Whoa babe, it's me." Dean told her.

"Me?" Abbie snarled, "You'd better have something better than 'whoa babe, it's me.', my husband's gonna kick your ass."

"Kinda hard when he _**is **_your husband." Bobby rolled in behind him, "Put the gun down, kid, this idjit's Dean."

"Let's not arm the hormonal chick in the future." Dean grumbled, as Abbie slowly put the gun down.

"What the hell happened?" Abbie asked.

"Well, Bobby here decided to play and lost so I went in to get Bobby's years back and-"

"You lost." Abbie finished, rubbing her eyes. "How could you be so stupid?"

"Stupid?" Dean repeated, "I was trying to help Bobby."

"Make me feel better why don't you?" Bobby grumbled.

"I'm gonna have a shower." Dean walked through to the bathroom, leaving a frustrated Abbie and Bobby behind.

"Sorry, I-" Bobby started.

"What were you thinking Bobby?" Abbie sighed.

"Clearly not thinking." Bobby wheeled himself out of the room.

Just at that, Sam came in with Beth in one arm and a take out bag in the other. "Hey, you find Dean?"

Dean, unrecognisable to Sam, walked out of the bathroom. "Uh, you might say." Sam drew his gun, aiming at Dean. "Who the hell are you!"

"Sam, it's Dean!" Abbie exclaimed, putting herself between Sam and Dean.

"Dean?" Sam put the gun back in his jacket, and put Beth down on the bed.

"Hi." Dean walked over to the bed, "Hey Beth." He reached out for her, she pulled away from him, holding her arms out to Sam.

"What the hell happened?" Sam asked, taking Beth, to Dean's disappointment.

"I, you know...found the game." Dean tried to hide his upset by picking up a burger.

"You f-I thought you said you were g-good at poker."

"Clearly not as good as he thought." Abbie answered.

"I am. Shut up. So, you were just gonna shoot some old guy? Is that it?" Dean argued.

"I didn't know what you were. I mean, have you seen you? You look like-"

"The old chick in _Titanic_. I know. shut up."

"I was gonna say Emperor Palpatine." Sam laughed, as Bobby rolled back into the room.

"I see you met John McCain there."

"Yeah. Either of you want to tell me what happened?" Sam looked at both of them.

"I think I'm gonna get something at the diner after all." Abbie stood and walked out.

"Abbie, wait-" Dean called after her.

"Let her go, Dean." Bobby told him. "She needs to cool off."

"You were about to explain what happened." Sam reminded Dean, sitting down with his salad.

"Bobby's an idiot. That's what happened." Dean huffed.

"Hey, nobody asked you to play." Bobby snapped, feeling guilty.

"Right. I should have just let you die."

"And for damn sure, nobody asked you to lose!"

Sam grinned at them both, "It's like _Grumpy Old Men_."

"Shut up, Sam." Dean and Bobby said in unison.

"What the hell were you thinking? He's a witch. He's been playing poker since guys wore tights." Dean was furious with Bobby.

"You just don't get it." Bobby mumbled, looking at floor.

"Yeah, I get it, Bobby. You saw a chance to turn the hands of the clock back and get out of that damn chair. Pretty tempting. I can imagine."

"No, you can't."

"You got me. I never been paralyzed. But I tell you something, I've been to hell, and there's an archangel there wanting me to drop the soap. Look at me! My junk's rustier than yours! You hear me bellyaching? Huh?"

"Uh, actually, yeah." Sam pointed out, "Daddy's a grumble, huh?"

"Oh!" Dean exclaimed, sitting down, burger in hand, "I'm having a heart attack."

Sam put Beth down on the floor and walked over to Dean, worried.

"No, you're not. It's acid reflux. Guys your age can't digest certain foods. You're gonna need to put down that cheeseburger." Dean grimaced and put down the burger, eyeing Sam's salad. "So, you want to keep emoting, or you want to talk about solving this little issue of yours? It's got to be about the chips."

"I slid 'em across, Patrick did his little witchy number, and you prettied up in a hurry."

"I mean, what are you all thinking? Some kind of magic chips or something?" Sam asked, sitting down, now he was satisfied that Dean wasn't having a heart attack. Dean and Bobby both nodded.

"You remember what he chanted?"

"Yep-every word." Bobby answered, feeling slightly useful.

"All right, then let's find out where he stashes his chips." Sam decided.

"And steal me fifty. Benjamin Button me back into burger shape. What do you think?" Dean asked.

"I think you ought to put some clothes on." Bobby told him.

"Can you look after Beth while we get me pretty?"

"Ummmm, I dunno..." Bobby started, "I...uuhh, long drive, I'm kinda beat-"

"Still here?" Abbie asked Dean, walking back into the room with a tea. "Shouldn't you be trying to get your years back?"

"We were just about to." Dean mumbled.

"Don't lose this time, huh?"

"You don't think I look distinguished like this?" Dean teased, running a hand through his gray hair.

"No, I think you look old." She walked over to him, and whispered. "And not someone I'm about to hop into bed with either. Don't wanna get you all worked up and having a heart attack."

"Sammy, we need to go." He kissed Abbie and moved to hug Beth, but she just clung closer to Sam.

"I got her." Abbie took Beth from Sam. "Don't come back here unless he's 30."

"We'll try." Sam walked out and closed the door.


	21. Chapter 21

21

"This is my fault." Bobby mumbled, "If I hadn't thought I could turn back time, Dean would never have played and we wouldn't be in this mess."

"Dean and Sam are gonna sort it, Bobby. No harm done, they just need to work the magic on the chips." Abbie told him, sipping her tea.

"I should go." Bobby told her.

"Stay?" Abbie asked, "I hate being stuck in these rooms alone."

"You have Bug." Bobby pointed out, Beth was almost asleep in Abbie's arms.

"She's not a great conversationalist, and it's way past her bedtime." Abbie pointed out, placing Beth on the bed, and covering her with a blanket.

"You want me to stay?"

"Course I do. We can watch TV." Abbie smiled, climbing up onto the bed and switching the TV on.

(An hour later)

"C'mon, Bug. Let's let your mom sleep, huh?" Bobby whispered, picking a sleepy Beth up and wheeling himself back to his room. If Dean wasn't 30 when he got home, Beth would probably not recognise him and let him take care of her.

(At Patrick's room)

They looked around the room, looking for a clue as to where the chips were, "Sam?" Dean pointed to a safe, Sam walked over, "Dime-store model. Piece of cake." Dean started to turn the dial, but the numbers were too blurry for him to read.

"It's like _Mission: Pathetic_. Watch out." Sam huffed pushing Dean aside and opening the safe himself.

"I could have done that." Dean mumbled, while Sam started to grab chips.

"What are you doing?" The woman who accompanied Patrick had caught them.

"Aren't you the chick from the bar?" Dean remembered seeing her.

"I'm a lot more than that." She clenched a fist and twisted it, Dean doubled over in pain. Patrick ran in and grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"It's all right, sweetheart. It's all right. They're harmless." Patrick turned to Sam and Dean, "You boys want chips? Take 'em. They're just chips, Einsteins. It's showmanship. This may come as a shock, but the magic does not lie in a pile of crappy plywood or in any phony abracadabra. It's in the nine-hundred-year-old witch. You boys want years? Score 'em the old-fashioned way. Texas hold 'em." Patrick chewed on his toothpick, waiting for an answer.

"Fine. Let's do it." Dean told him.

Patrick pulled a card out of a pocket. It's the eight of hearts. "What card am I holding up?" Dean squinted and didn't answer, "That's what I thought. If your eyesight's that bad, what about your memory? I'm not a murderer. You, on the other hand..." Patrick looked at Sam.

"No, Sam." Dean warned him.

"What, Sam not much of a player? Okay, well, happy trails, Dean. Enjoy the twilight of your life. Should have taken better care of that ticker, though." Patrick opened the door, "You're free to go." Sam and Dean moved to leave, "Oh, but, Sam..." They both stopped, "Your brother's situation-that's punishment enough, but I can't let you leave without a small parting gift." Patrick clapped his hand three times.

"What are you doing?" Sam asked, suspicious.

"You'll find out soon enough." Patrick smiled.

"Let's get out of here, Sam." Sam and Dean walked out. As soon as they were away from the room, Sam started scratching at the inside of his thighs. "Dude..." Sam turned to looked at him, still scratching, "I believe that he-witch gave you the clap." Sam marched off, leaving a laughing Dean behind him.

(Back at the motel)

Dean opened the door to his room, "She's gonna kill me." He mumbled, seeing Abbie asleep, then noticed no Beth, he ran to Bobby's room. "You guys got Beth, right?" He asked, frantically.

"Yeah, she's here." Bobby told him, nodding to Beth, asleep on Sam's bed, Sam was out picking up the crib from the van.

"Thank God." Dean sunk down on the bed beside her.

"For God's sake, don't wake her. She'll pitch a fit if you don't look like you and you try to pick her up." Bobby reminded Dean of another reason why he had to get back to looking like himself.

"You know, I still think I should play." Sam told them both, as he set up Beth's crib then gently placed her in it.

"No, no, no. You're not good enough. I'm better. Bobby's way better. We both lost."

"Exactly." Bobby nodded.

"So, what? So I don't get a say in this any more?" Sam was furious.

"Sammy, when you get to be our age-" Dean started.

"You're thirty, Dean! Look, I've watched you hustle plenty of poker-"

"Knowing the game is not enough, Sam. It's not about playing the cards." Bobby explained.

"It's about playing the other guy. I know that." Sam finished for him.

"Well, hooray for you. All I'm saying is, I played this guy. I know his style. I can take him." Bobby put forward his plan.

"No, Bobby. You don't have enough years in the bank." Dean answered, shaking his head.

"I got enough."

"No, you'll die if you lose, Bobby." Sam was pacing.

"So what if I do, huh? What exactly am I living for, huh? The damn apocalypse? Watching men die bloody while I sit in this chair, can't take a step to help 'em?"

"Bobby-"

"No, no. It's the facts. I'm old...and broke down...and I can't..." Bobby stopped, taking a deep breath, "I ain't a hunter no more. I'm useless. And if I wasn't such a coward, I'd have stuck a gun in my mouth day I got home from the hospital."

"Bobby-" Dean started, "You're not-"

"Bobby, you are not playing again. I'm not letting you do that. There's another way out of this. There's got to be. And I'm gonna find it." Sam walked out by Dean and Bobby.

(Next morning)

Abbie woke up, and noticed a still old Dean beside her, awake. "Shouldn't you be conserving your energy, Grandpa?"

"Very funny." Dean mumbled, sitting up with a grimace.

"Where's Beth?"

"With Sam and Bobby. She's still not too keen on my new look." Dean explained, remembering Bobby's warning.

"Do you guys have a plan yet?" Abbie asked, "Clearly last night didn't go to plan. And you're gonna have a tough enough time as a 30 year old with Beth and the boys...you need to fix this."

"I know I do, Sam wants to play."

"Is Sam any good?"

"You managed to beat him last time."

"Maybe I should-"

"No way. There's a reason why 80 year olds don't have babies, Abbie. Forget it."

"So, your relying on Sam?"

"You saying I shouldn't?" Dean raised his eyebrows at Abbie.

"No, but it's good that you can trust him to do this for you is all." Abbie finished quietly. "Anyway, boys are hungry, how about you pick up breakfast? I'll shower and collect Beth."

Abbie walked out of the bathroom, brushing her hair, stopping when she saw a woman on the bed. The woman, Lia, held a piece of paper up to her. "Take it. It'll help you."

"What the hell?" Abbie frowned, "How did you-"

"You want your husband back to normal, take it." She repeated, as Dean walked in followed by Bobby and Sam.

"Get out." Dean told Lia.

Bobby rolled over to her, taking the paper, "What is this?"

"The most powerful reversal spell you've ever laid your eyes on." Lia explained.

"And it reverses what?"

"Patrick's work - all of it."

"You-you saying I could be normal again?" Dean was unsure.

"You and everyone else he's ever played, who's still alive."

"Why the hell should we trust you?" Abbie asked.

"Trust me, don't trust me. I don't care. The spell is real." Lia got up, "Just thought you'd want your husband back." She nodded to Abbie and headed toward the door.

"If it zaps everyone, don't that include your man?"

"And me, too. I look good for my age."

"Lady, this don't add up for squat." Bobby told her, "Why would you want that?"

"I have my reasons." Lia looked down at the locket she was wearing, then over to Beth. "Do it quick. We leave town tomorrow."

She walked out, "Looks like I play tonight." Sam observed.

"Sam, are you sure-" Abbie started, "I mean I-"

"You're not playing, Abbie." Dean shook his head.

"I can handle it." Sam told her. "I won't let you guys down."

(That night)

"You think Sam can do it?" Abbie asked Dean as he got ready to leave.

"Course I do."

"You're not just saying that so I won't feel bad?"

"Seriously, Sam can do it." Dean told her, "I'll be back to me in no time, I'll be able to hold Beth without her throwing a hissy fit. If Sam doesn't do it, you might need to bail all three of us out."

"Take care of yourself out there."

"I always do." Dean smiled, "Back soon." He closed the motel room door, leaving Abbie behind, hoping Sam could win.

(At the bar)

Sam watched Patrick letting an old man win, once the man was gone, Sam approached Patrick, "That was nice of you."

"I'm a nice guy. What can I do you for?" Patrick asked shuffling his cards, Sam sat down across from him.

"Deal." Sam told him, while Dean and Bobby were getting the rest of the things they needed for the reversal spell.

"Jawbone of a murderer. Great." 'dean mumbled, while in a grave, digging. You know, this really sucks. How do we even know her spell's gonna work?" He asked Bobby.

"We don't. But we ain't got a Plan B. Now, less flappin' and more diggin'."

Dean moved to dig more, "Oh, God!" He moaned, "My elbows! I'm all creaky."

"Hurry up, you crybaby."

"Pound it up your ass, Ironsides." Dean snapped.

"One little grave." Bobby shook his head.

"Then you do it." Dean challenged.

"Fine. I'll hop right in." Bobby sniped back.

"Well, least your legs are numb."

"Shut up and dig, Grandma."

Dean went back to digging, "Oh! Now it's my back!" Dean grabbed at his back.

"Can you straighten up?" Bobby asked him.

"Yeah, but a little sympathy wouldn't hurt."

"Butt cheek tingling?"

"Well, that's kind of personal." Dean answered, Bobby took that to be a yes, "It's sciatica. You'll live. Keep digging."

"You know, Bobby, killing you is officially on my bucket list."

(Back at the bar)

"I like you, Sam. I do. You're smart, and your heart's clearly in the right place." Sam didn't answer, Patrick stop chewing his toothpick and took a drink of his whiskey, "I can tell a lot about a guy by looking."

"You mean you're psychic." Sam guessed, it would certainly account for his beating both Bobby and Dean.

"No. That'd be cheating. I'm talking about good old-fashioned intuition."

"Right. Let's just play." Sam told him.

"We are playing." Patrick put his glass down, "Does your big brother know you're here?"

Sam ignored the question, "Bet five." He put his chips on the pile.

"Didn't think so." Patrick added chips to the pile, "I raise. Here you are, right? Trying to clean up their mess, and they still want to sit you at the kiddie table." Sam looked down at the table, "You're not the little brother any more, Sam." Sam looked up at Patrick, "Then again, maybe you are. You're in over your head here, Sam. I mean, you can keep making these moves - you know, playing it cautious, playing the percentages. But I'm still gonna kick your ass into the nursing home."

"Does this armchair-psychology routine usually work for you?" Sam was getting annoyed by Patrick's assumptions.

Patrick just laughed, "You tell me. You're the one who's losing." Patrick chewed on his toothpick. They kept playing until Lia walked in, Patrick put down his toothpick, "Little break?"

Patrick turned to Lia, while Sam grabbed the toothpick, and walked out.

"How's it going in there?" Dean asked, once Sam had walked outside.

Sam scoffed, "How do you think it's going? What about you? You have everything you need?"

"We still need a little he-witch DNA." Dean reminded him of his task.

"He was chewing it." He handed Dean the toothpick, "Hurry up, Dean. Please."

"All right. Just keep him busy. And, Sammy...don't lose." Dean told his, as if Sam needed reminding of what was at stake. "I really don't wanna need to get Abbie in to play."

"You won't need to." Sam assured him, walking back inside.

Dean and Bobby got everything they needed, and Bobby recited the spell, "Gairmidh mi air sucellus, dia na time." Dean threw something in the flames, "Till an-dràsda obair uile gu bheilair a bhith deànta. Mar sin bitheadh. Drop it in."

Dean dropped the toothpick in, "Well? How do I look?" Bobby didn't answer, nothing had changed, "Goddammit!" Dean growled. "C'mon, Sammy. You gotta win that damn game."

(At the bar)

"Question." Patrick held up a toothpick, "Is this what you meant to give your big brother?" Sam didn't react, "The one you gave him never passed my lips. Won't do a scrap of good." He threw the toothpick on the table, "I don't like cheating, Sam." He reached out a hand, clenching his fist, Sam started gasping for breath.

"Stop it!" Lia grabbed Patrick's wrist, "Patrick, let him go!"

"He tried to kill us!" Patrick reasoned, couldn't she see that?

"I did it! I gave him the spell!" Lia admitted, making Patrick let Sam go.

"What? Why...why would you do that?"

"You know why." She touched her locket, "You know."

"Keep. Playing." Patrick instructed Sam, while Bobby and Dean headed to Patrick's apartment to find genuine DNA. Sam put more chips in, "Well, look at you - the percentage player betting the farm. Awful transparent of you, Sam. I mean, if I had a monster hand like you have, I'd trap you. But you get so excited, you bet yourself right out of a big pot." Patrick put down his cards, "I fold. Set of ladies, I'm guessing." Sam collected the chips he had won and turned over his cards, which included a pair of queens, "Nice bluff. If we had time, I could make a real player out of you."

"I got time." Sam answered.

Patrick grinned at him, "Maybe. But I can't say the same for Dean. Your brother's gonna be dead soon. And when I say 'soon'... I mean minutes." Sam stood up, Patrick extended his fist and pulled him back down with witchcraft, "The game's not over till I say it is. Blinds." Patrick put down two chips, while Sam put down one. Patrick dealt new cards, Sam glanced at his then added a chip to the pot, "So." Patrick spread out his cards, "When it's about your brother, you get so emotional, your brain just flies right out the window. Good to know."

"Go to hell." Sam growled, continuing with the next hand, Sam analysed the cards, "I'm all in." He put all his chips in the middle.

"Don't do that, Sam." Patrick warned him.

"I can't leave until it's over? Fine. It's over. Now, where's my brother?"

"Look, there's poker and then there's suicide."

"Just play the hand." Sam told him.

Patrick added all his chips to the pot, "Fine." Patrick discarded a cards, and dealt an ace of clubs and diamonds. "I'm sorry, kid. Aces full."

Sam looked at the cards, exhaling shakily. "You're crying." Sam noted, looking at Lia, "For a witch, you're so nice, it's actually kind of creepy. It's okay." Sam turned back to Patrick, "It was a great hand." Patrick moved to collect the chips, "Just-" Sam continued, Patrick looked up at him, "-not as great as-" Sam turned over his cards, "-as four fours." Sam had just won.

"Well played. You know, that whole...going-out-of-your-head bit—very method. Well, there's more to you than meets the eye."

"Cash these in for Dean, please." Patrick nodded.

"With pleasure." Patrick did as asked, Sam stood up, and walked out, smiling sadly at Lia on the way out.

(At Patrick's apartment)

"Dean, you hear me? Damn it, Dean!" Bobby had been trying to call Dean ever since he went inside, not realising Dean had collapsed near death inside. Bobby spotted someone at the door, it was Dean, back to normal, grinning like a lunatic and dancing. "Idjit." Bobby mumbled.

(Back at the motel)

"No tricks—you actually beat the guy?" Bobby asked in disbelief, "How the hell?" They walked into the motel room.

"Just lucky." Sam explained.

"You won?" Abbie repeated, "You did it? Thank God. Where is he?" Just as Dean walked in with a burger. "Hey you." She smiled at Dean.

"Dada!" Beth squealed, reaching out for him, he smiled, putting down his burger.

"Hey. I'll see y'all guys later." Sam mumbled, grabbing his jacket.

"Where you going?" Dean asked, frowning.

"Umm.., nowhere." Sam answered, suspiciously. "A booster shot. Don't say it." Sam walked out quickly.

"Well, I'm going to get Beth's seat fixed into the Impala." Abbie grabbed the keys from Dean, and walked out, sensing that Dean and Bobby wanted to talk.

"Well, I guess we can get the van loaded." Bobby rolled himself towards the door, Dean cleared his throat, making Bobby stop.

"I shouldn't have called you an idiot." Dean admitted.

"Which time?" Bobby grumbled.

"I'm sorry. I mean, I actually - I, I - I get it. Getting old ain't a bachelor party. And dealing with the crap you got to deal with-"

"Don't you go on pity patrol."

"I'm not. I'm not. I'm just...I'm saying, you know, if I was in your shoes..." Dean continued.

"You'd never stop complaining." Bobby finished for him.

"Fair enough. You're not useless, Bobby." Dean told him.

"Okay. Good talk." Bobby felt awkward and tried to roll towards the door, Dean stood in his path.

"No, wait a minute. Listen to me." Bobby stopped rolling, Dean sat down on the bed, "You don't stop being a soldier 'cause you got wounded in battle. Okay? No matter what shape you're in, bottom line is, you're family. You're Beth's grandpa Bobby, as good as a father to me, Sam and Abbie. I can't do this without you. I can't. So don't you dare think about checking out. I don't want to hear that again."

"It's just, Abbie asked me to watch Beth and she fell off the bed and-"

"She fell off the bed?" Dean raised his eye brows, "Bobby, Beth's fine. See? She rolled off the couch when I had last week, remember, you and Abbie were in town. She's a Winchester, Bobby. And she loves her Grandpa Bobby. We need you, ok? Don't ever think we don't."

There was a silence, Abbie walked back in, having heard the lull in conversation. "Okay." Bobby conceded.

"Okay. Good." Dean nodded.

"Thanks. Now, we done feeling our feelings? 'Cause I'd like to get out of this room before we both start growing lady parts." Bobby grumbled.

"Yeah, we're done." Dean answered, standing up, looking at his burger in disgust. "Let's go, Ironsides." Dean handed Beth back to Abbie and grabbed their bags.

"Oh, that one's sticking, huh?" Bobby asked, Dean just grinned back, "We'll see you back at the ranch."

"That you will." Bobby sighed, smiling slightly, rolling himself back to the van.


	22. Chapter 22

22

(Two weeks later)

"Daddy!" Beth grinned from her play pen, pointing at the TV screen.

"Sweetie, Daddy's not on the TV." Abbie smiled, continuing to read her book.

"Daddy!" Beth persisted, standing up, and pointing.

"Beth, I-" Abbie stopped, looking at the TV, "Oh my God, Bobby!"

"Yeah?" Bobby called from the kitchen where he'd been making lunch.

"You gotta see this!"

"See what?" Bobby asked, rolling through, "What the-since when was Dean on TV? Is that Sam?"

"Looks like..." Abbie pulled out her cell phone, "Dean?"

She watched as Dean frowned, then pulled out the phone, "Abbie?"

"What the hell's going on? You playing dress up?"

"You can see us?" He asked, looking around, "Where are you?"

"At home, on the couch, watching you on TV."

"Sam, something freaky's going on." Dean told him. "Abbie's watching us on TV."

"TV? We're being filmed?"

"I dunno, Sam." Dean answered, as a female doctor walked towards them, nodding to a 'no cellphone sign'. Dean hung up his cell and put it in his pocket, while the doctor turned to Sam, slapping him.

"Ow!" Sam exclaimed.

"Seriously." She spoke to him.

"What?" Sam asked, confused.

"Seriously? You're brilliant, you know that? And a coward, you're a brilliant coward."

"Um, what are you talking about?"

She slapped him again. "As if you don't know." She walked off, Dean staring after her, trying not to grin.

"I don't believe this." He smiled.

"What?" Sam asked, while at home Abbie grabbed a TV guide.

"That's Dr Piccolo." Dean explained.

"Who?"

"Dr Ellen Piccolo." Dean clarified.

"Ellen Piccolo?" Bobby asked Abbie, who was trying not to laugh.

"I knew he wasn't channel surfing...he actually watches that crap!"

"The sexy, not as sexy as Abs obviously," Dean remembered he was being watched, "yet earnest doctor at-" He read the sign at the desk, then exclaimed angrily, "Seattle Mercy Hospital."

"Dean?" Sam frowned at him, "You know this place?"

"The doctor getups, the sexy interns, the seriouslys, it all makes sense."

"What makes sense? What's going on?"

"We're in _Dr. Sexy, MD_." Dean told him, "You can quit laughing, Abbie." Dean knew she'd find it funny, "Oh boy..." Sam followed Dean's gaze, seeing another doctor.

"What?" Sam asked, confused.

"It's him." Dean answered.

"Who?" The doctor walked towards them, "It's him, it's Dr. Sexy."

"Doctor." Dr Sexy addressed Dean.

"Doctor." Dean answered, looking at the floor to hide his grin.

"Doctor." Dr Sexy now turned to Sam, who just nodded.

Dean whacked Sam on the arm, "Doctor." Sam corrected.

"You want to give me one good reason why you defied my direct order to do the experimental face transplant on Mrs. Biehl?" Dr Sexy asked Dean, clearly angry.

Dean glanced at Sam, then back to Dr Sexy, confused, "One reason?" Dr Sexy nodded. "Sure." Dean looked down while thinking, then slammed Dr Sexy against the wall. "You're not Dr. Sexy."

"You're crazy." Dr Sexy answered.

"Really? Because I swore part of what makes Dr. Sexy sexy is the fact that he wears cowboy boots. Not tennis shoes."

"Yeah. You're not a fan." Sam laughed.

""There were reruns on at 2am when Beth was teething!" Dean protested, "Ok, it's a guilty pleasure." Dean admitted, embarrassed.

"Call security." Dr Sexy ordered.

"Yeah, go ahead, pal. See, we know who you are." Dean told him, as everyone around them stopped moving, only Dean, Sam and Dr Sexy were still moving. Dr Sexy morphed into the trickster.

(At Bobby's)

"What the hell?" Abbie frowned as she lost the picture on the TV, "Dammit." She channel surfed not finding them.

"I dunno, kid." Bobby shook his head, as Beth started to sniffle.

"Daddy." She pointed to the TV.

"Daddy's gone away from the TV, Beth." Abbie picked her out of the play pen. "He'll be back soon."

(Hospital Set)

"You guys are getting better!" The trickster grinned.

"Get us the hell out of here."

"Or what?" The trickster grabbed Dean's arm, twisting it, "Don't say you have wooden stakes, big guy."

"That was you on the police scanner, right? This is a trick." Sam realised they had been set up to investigate the warehouse they were in by the trickster.

"Hello? Trickster. Come on! I heard you two yahoos were in town. How could I resist?"

"Where the hell are we?" Dean asked.

"Like it? It's all homemade. My own sets-" He rapped on a nearby window, "My own actors...call it my own little idiot box."

"How do we get out?"

"That, my friend, is the sixty-four-dollar question." The trickster teased.

"Whatever. We just, we need to talk to you. We need your help."

"Hm, let me guess. You two muttonheads broke the world, and you want me to sweep up your mess."

"Please. Just five minutes. Hear us out." Sam pleaded.

"Sure. Tell you what. Survive the next twenty-four hours, we'll talk."

"Survive what?" Dean was slightly worried.

"The game!" The trickster revealed.

"What game?"

"You're in it."

"How do we play?"

"You're playing it."

"What are the rules?" Dean asked, while the trickster just grinned and vanished, everything unpaused around them. "Oh, son of a bitch." Dean turned to Sam, "Oh, by the way. Talking with monsters? Hell of a plan."

"Just, what do we do now?" Sam didn't have a clue what to do.

"You know what I'm doing? Leaving." Dean answered, just as Dr Piccolo reappeared, taking another wing at Sam who ducked.

"Lady, what the hell?"

"You are a brilliant, brilliant-" she started.

"Yeah. A coward. You already said that. But I got news for you. I am not a doctor."

"Don't say that. You are the finest cerebrovascular neurosurgeon I have ever met, and I have met plenty. So that girl died on your table. It wasn't your fault. It wasn't anybody's fault. Sometimes people just die."

"I have no idea what you're saying to me." Sam protested, while Dean just watched the exchange, amused.

"You're afraid. You're afraid to operate again. And you're afraid to love." Dr Piccolo walked away, sobbing.

"Yeah, we're getting out of here." Sam nodded to Dean.

"Hey. Doctor." A man shouted to Dean, Dean turned to see who had shouted. "My wife needs that face transplant."

"Okay. You know what, pal? None of this is real, and your wife doesn't need jack squat. Okay?" Dean had run out of patience, and walked away.

"Hey, Doctor." The man raised a gun and shot Dean in the back, Dean slumped to his knees.

(Bobby's)

"Unca Sam!" Beth grinned from Abbie's lap, the TV show had returned, "Momma, Unca Sam!" She pointed at the screen. "Dada!"

"Oh God, Dean." Abbie knew she should take Beth away from watching Dean hurt, but couldn't turn away. "Bobby!"

"They back?" Bobby asked, wheeling himself back in.

"Dean's been, ummm, Dean's been shot."

"Shot?" Bobby stared in disbelief at the TV screen. "Abbie, it's not real, it-it can't be."

(Hospital set)

"Real-it's real-" Dean stuttered out to Sam, who ran to his side.

"No no no, no no no no no—hey! We need a doctor!" Sam yelled.

All of a sudden, they found themselves in an operating theatre, Dean facedown on the table. Sam was now dressed in operating scrubs, holding gauze to Dean's bullet wound.

"BP is eighty over fifty and dropping." A nurse informed him, as another doctor handed him a scalpel.

"What?" Sam asked, he wasn't a doctor.

"Sam. Do something. Come on." Dean was hurting.

"I don't know how to use any of this crap." Sam whispered to him.

"Figure it out." Dean snapped back. Sam grinned awkwardly at the other doctors, unsure of what to do. "Sam. Come on. I'm waiting."

"Okay. Um. I need a penknife, some dental floss, a sewing needle, and a fifth of whiskey." Sam thought the best way to handle it would be to do what he would normally do without a surgical team and OR. The other doctors just looked at him, "Stat!" The doctors got Sam what he had asked for, and within minutes he was cleaning the wound with whisky, removing the bullet and stitching Dean back up with dental floss.

"We okay? How's it looking?"

"Yep. You'll be fine." Sam told him, relieved.

(Bobby's)

"Thank God." Abbie sighed, pulling out her cell to call Dean, just as the picture faded from the TV. The call went straight through to voicemail. "Dammit Dean."

"No answer?" Bobby asked.

"Nope." Abbie put her phone away.

"At least he's ok." Bobby told her, Sam did a good job by the looks of it.

"By the looks of it, it shouldn't have been real, should it, Bobby?" Abbie reasoned, "I'm gonna call Cas, see if he can get them outta there, if he can even find them that is."

"He'll find them." Bobby assured her, "Why don't I put Beth down for a nap in my room while you call Cas?"

"Thanks Bobby." She handed Beth to him, picking up her cell. "Cas? Hey. I need your help."


	23. Chapter 23

**Hi guys**

**Sorry it's taken so long to get this next part out but it's been a hellish couple of months, but I'm back writing and hopefully updating a lot more regular! Please read and review, let me know if you still enjoy this!**

**Alz**

23

"The guys, they're missing. We're at Bobby's."

Castiel appeared in the living room of Bobby's house, "Missing?"

"Yeah, missing. I can't get them on their cells, but-" The TV turned on, showing a game show.

"They are on your television set." Castiel observed, "They're not missing."

"It's the trickster, Cas. He has them." Abbie told him, "They're trapped."

"Trickster?" Castiel repeated, "I know where they are." He disappeared, leaving Abbie and Bobby to watch the show.

It was a Japanese game show, starring Dean and Sam as the contestants.

"Let's play Nutcracker!" The crowed applauded. Dean glanced at Sam, both very glued to a platform by their shoes, with a pole with a large ball on the end lying horizontal at the front of it. The host spoke in Japanese, then turned to Sam, "Sam Winchester." He continued to talk in Japanese, subtitles appearing on the screen for those watching at home. "**What was the name of the demon you chose over your own brother?" **The host spoke English now, "Countdown."

"What?" Sam asked, not understanding the question. The screen began to count down from 20 seconds, "Uh, what am I supposed to say?"

"You think I know?" Dean didn't know either.

"Ruby you dumbasses!" Abbie yelled at her TV at home.

Sam turned to the host, "Uh, I, I don't, I don't understand Japanese." The host repeated the question still in Japanese, "Is he screwing with me? I, I, I can't speak Japanese."

The screen reached zero, the host announced the answer, "Ruby!" He turned to Sam, "I'm sorry, Sam Winchester."

"Sorry? Sir? For what?" Sam asked, "Dean?" All of a sudden, the pole on Sam's platform comes up so that the ball whacked him in the crotch. Dean was horrified, eyeing an identical pole on his own platform.

"Sam?" Dean turned to his brother, obviously in pain, Sam could just groan. "You okay?" The lights on the doors started flashing, "Oh now what?" The doors opened to reveal Castiel, "Cas?"

"Is this another trick?" Sam asked.

"It's me. Uh, what are you doing here?" Castiel asked them.

"Us? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you. You've been missing for days. Abbie called me."

"So get us the hell out of here, then!" Sam exclaimed.

"Let's go." He raised his arms to touch both guys on the forehead and vanished in a burst of static.

"Cas?"

The host rejoined them, "No, no, no, no. Mr. Trickster does not like pretty-boy angels." He pulled out a card, "Dean Winchester." The host proceeded to ask Dean a question in Japanese. "**Would your Mother and Father still be alive...if your brother was never born?**"

"Oh boy..." Abbie sighed at home, watching helplessly, "I can't watch." She stood up, going to collect Beth from the bedroom.

"Countdown."

"What do I do, what do I do?" Dean frantically asked Sam, "I don't wanna get hit in the nuts."

"I don't know, I, I, uh, just, uh-wait." Sam seemed to have an idea, "I played a doctor, In, uh, in _Dr. Sexy, _I played a doctor. I operated."

"So?"

"So I played the role the Trickster wanted me to play. Maybe we should just go along with it."

"Go along with what?"

"With the game! You know, we're on a game show, right? So just answer the question!"

"In Japanese?" Dean was skeptical. "I don't know Japanese!"

"Try!"

"Dammit!" Dean hit the button, and answered in Japanese, "**T****he answer is...yes?**"

The host shouted something in Japanese, Dean braced himself for the 'nutcracker', instead the host shouted, "Dean Winchester, Nutcracker champion!"

"How did you do that?" Sam asked.

"I have no idea."

"So that's it. We play our roles, we survive." Sam guessed.

"Yeah, but play our roles for how long?"

"Good question." Dean forced a grin and waved.

Abbie sat at home with Bobby, scanning through the TV channels, looking for any sign of Dean or Sam, "I don't get it, what the hell could do that to Cas, Bobby? How did it know he was an angel?"

"I dunno, kid." Bobby shook his head, "Trickster's a strange one. This one's mighty powerful."

"Cas?" Castiel had appeared in front of them, and was frowning at the TV. "Cas? Are you ok?"

"I was unable to get Sam and Dean-"

A sitcom appeared on the TV, "They're back." Bobby noted, then noted the bikini clad girl walking out of the room Dean had just left. "Why don't we change-"

"I'm going back to get them." Castiel declared, disappearing.

"Leave it, Bobby." Abbie answered, laughing.

"Son of a bitch!" Dean exclaimed to laughter.

"Uh, I am really, really, very sorry, but, uh, we've got some work to do." Sam escorted the woman away.

Dean waved at her, "Abbie, nothing happened." He mumbled through a forced smiled, "How long do we have to keep doing this?"

"I don't know. Maybe forever?" The audience laughed. "We might die in here." More laughter.

"How was that funny? Vultures." Dean grumbled as Castiel appeared at the door, injured to applause. "You okay?"

"I don't have much time." Castiel explained.

"What happened?"

"Listen to me. Something is not right. This thing is much more powerful than it should be."

"What thing—the Trickster?" Dean asked, confused.

"If it is a trickster." Castiel started, just as he was flung back against the wall, just as the trickster appeared at the door.

"Hello!" The trickster entered to applause and chhers, Castiel stood up, his mouth duct-taped shut. "Thank you. Thank you, ladies." Castiel merely glared at the trickster. "Hi, Castiel!" The trickster grinned, then made Castiel disappear as before.

The TV set in Bobby's switched to static, "Dammit." Abbie got up and hit the side of the TV, but nothing happened.

"You know him?" Sam asked the trickster.

"Where did you just send him?"

"Relax, he'll live. ...Maybe." The trickster laughed.

"All right, you know what? I am done with the monkey dance, okay? We get it." Dean was furious.

"Yeah? Get what, hotshot?" The trickster asked.

"Playing our roles, right? That's your game?" Dean guessed.

"That's half the game." The trickster answered.

"What's the other half?" Sam asked, unsure.

"Play your roles out there."

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Oh, you know. Sam starring as Lucifer. Dean starring as Michael. Your celebrity death match. Play your roles."

"You want us to say yes to those sons of bitches?"

"Hells yeah. Let's light this candle!"

"We do that, the world will end." Sam protested.

"Yeah? And whose fault is that? Who popped Lucifer out of the box? Hm? Look, it's started. You started it. It can't be stopped. So let's get it over with!"

"Heaven or hell, which side you on?" Dean joined the conversation/

"I'm not on either side."

"Yeah, right. You're grabbing ankle for Michael or Lucifer. Which one is it?"

"You listen to me, you arrogant dick. I don't work for either of those S.O.B.s. Believe me." The trickster was furious at being associated with either.

"Oh, you're somebody's bitch." Dean teased him

The trickster stopped smiling and grabbed Dean, slamming him into the wall.

"Don't you ever, ever presume to know what I am. Now listen very closely. Here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna suck it up, accept your responsibilities, and play the roles that destiny has chosen for you."

"And if we don't?" Sam challenged.

"Then you'll stay here in TV Land. Forever. Three hundred channels and, uh, nothing's on."

The trickster snapped his fingers and Sam and Dean found themselves in a crime show, wearing identical suits, and sunglasses.

"Oh, come on." Dean muttered as a police officer approached him.

"So, what do you think?" The officer asked him.

"What do I think? I think go screw yourself, that's what I think." Dean was beyond frustrated.

"Uh, could you give us a sec, please? Thanks." Sam pulled Dean away, "You gotta calm down."

"Calm down? I am wearing sunglasses at night." Dean pulled the glasses off, "You know who does that? No-talent douchebags." Sam nodded, while Dean continued, "I hate this game. I hate that we're in a procedural cop show and you wanna know why? Because I hate procedural cop shows. There's like three hundred of them on television and they're all the freaking same. It's ooh, plane crashed here-oh shut up. I just want out of this freaking game already!"

Sam noticed something, "Hey." He pointed someone out to Dean, "Check out sweet tooth over there." There was an officer sucking a lollipop.

"Think that's him?"

"Just, um, follow my lead." Sam told him, walking towards the officer.

"You, uh, you okay?" The officer asked.

"Yeah. What do we got?"

The officer knelt next to the body of the victim, "Well, aside from the ligature marks around his neck, he has what appears to be a roll of quarters jammed down his throat."

"Well I say, jackpot." Sam joined in the game.

"Also, there is a stab wound to the lower abdomen." The officer pointed out.

"Well I say, no guts, no glory." Dean commented, playing along.

"Get that guy a Tums." Sam continued.

"Gutter ball." Dean finished.

"Good one, guys." The officer laughed, while Dean came around behind him with a stick, and stabbed him with it. The officer collapsed, no one, except another officer noticed, he started laughing, then morphed into the trickster.

"You've got the wrong guy, idiots."

"Did we?" Sam staked the trickster, he fell over. Sam and Dean found themselves back in the warehouse where it had all started, dressed as themselves. Dean had barely had time to register what had happened when his cell went off.

"Dean? Dean, you ok? We lost you on the TV." It was Abbie.

"We got the son of a bitch." Dean told her, "We're just heading back to the motel and then we'll be heading back to you tomorrow morning."

"Is Cas ok?" Abbie asked, "We seen what the trickster did."

"I dunno, to be honest. He's not been back."

"Well, I'll let you know if he shows up here." Abbie sighed, worried about Castiel, "See you soon." She hung up.

(Next morning)

Dean was just finishing brushing his teeth and talking to Sam, "I'm worried, man. What that SOB did to Cas. You know, where is he?" There was no answer, "Sam?" He walked out of the bathroom to an empty room. "Where are you?" He grabbed his bag and headed towards the car, calling Sam's cell phone but just getting voicemail.

(At Bobby's)

"Daddy!" Beth squealed with delight, "Momma, 'pala!"

"That's right, sweetie, Daddy's coming home in the Impala." Abbie smiled, "She loves that car." She commented to Bobby.

"Uhhh, Abbie? In Knight Rider, the car wasn't an Impala, was it?"

"No, Bobby." Abbie laughed, "It was a, uhhh-" She glanced at the TV, "Goddammit."

"Guess they didn't ice the trickster after all."

(TV land)

Dean got into the car, "Dean?" Sam's voice asked, Dean couldn't see Sam in the car.

"Sam? Where are you?"

"I don't know." Dean noticed a red light on the dashboard, flashing in time with Sam's voice.

"Oh crap. I don't think we killed the Trickster."

"Dude's messing my my car now?" Dean growled.

"And me." Sam reminded him, as Dean started the engine and started to drive.

"Okay, stake didn't work. So, what, this is another trick?"

"I don't know. Maybe the stake didn't work because it's not a trickster?" Sam suggested.

"What do you mean?"

"You heard Cas. He said this thing was too powerful to be a trickster." Sam reminded Dean.

"And did you notice the way he looked at Cas? Almost like he knew him."

"And how pissed he got when you brought up Michael and Lucifer."

"Son of a bitch." Dean muttered, "I think I know what we're dealing with." He pulled over, and started rummaging in the trunk of the car.

"Dean? That, uh, feels really uncomfortable." Dean slammed the trunk shut, obviously a little too hard, "Ow. You sure this is gonna work?"

"No, but I have no other ideas." Dean walked around to the front of the car, and started yelling at the sky, "All right, you son of a bitch! Uncle! We'll do it!"

"Should I honk?" Sam asked.

Back at Bobby's, Abbie cursed as the TV switched off again. "If it's not a trickster, what the hell is it?"

"I dunno, kid. I really dunno."

"Daddy?" Beth asked, pointing to the TV. "Unca Sam?"

"They'll be back soon." Abbie told her.

(TV)

"Wow. Sam. Get a load of the rims on you." The trickster laughed appearing in front of them.

"Eat me." Sam retorted.

"Okay, boys. Ready to go quietly?"

"Whoa whoa whoa, not so fast. Nobody's going anywhere until Sam has opposable thumbs."

"What's the difference? Satan's going to ride his ass one way or another." The trickster rolled his eyes and snapped his fingers, the Impala returned to normal and Sam got out of it. "Happy?"

"Tell me one thing. Why didn't the stake kill you?"

"I am the Trickster."

"Or maybe you're not." Dean answered, as Sam threw a flaming lighter down, surrounding the trickster in a ring of fire, "Maybe you've always been an angel."

The trickster laughed, "A what? Somebody slip a mickey in your power shake, kid?"

"I'll tell you what. You just jump out of the holy fire and we'll call it our mistake." Dean challenged.

The surroundings around them changed back to the warehouse, "Well played, boys. Well played. Where'd you get the holy oil?"

"Well, you might say we pulled it out of Sam's ass."

"Where'd I screw up?" The trickster was annoyed at himself.

"You didn't. Nobody gets the jump on Cas like you did." Sam told him.

"Mostly it was the way you talked about Armageddon." Dean continued.

"Meaning?"

"Well, call it personal experience, but nobody gets that angry unless they're talking about their own family. So which one are you? Grumpy, Sneezy, or Douchey?"

"Gabriel, okay? They call me Gabriel." The trickster admitted.

"Gabriel? The archangel?"

"Guilty."

Dean was curious, "Okay, Gabriel. How does an archangel become a trickster?"

"My own private witness protection. I skipped out of heaven, had a face transplant, carved out my own little corner of the world. Till you two screwed it all up."

"What did Daddy say when you ran off and joined the pagans?"

"Daddy doesn't say anything about anything."

"Then what happened? Why'd you ditch?" Sam asked.

"Do you blame him? I mean, his brothers are heavyweight douchenozzles."

This offended Gabriel, "Shut your cakehole. You don't know anything about my family. I love my father, my brothers. Love them. But watching them turn on each other? Tear at each other's throats? I couldn't bear it! Okay? So I left. And now it's happening all over again."

"Then help us stop it." Sam tried to reason.

"It can't be stopped."

"You wanna see the end of the world?"

"I want it to be over! I have to sit back and watch my own brothers kill each other thanks to you two! Heaven, hell, I don't care who wins, I just want it to be over."

Sam didn't believe that, "It doesn't have to be like that. There has to be some way to, to pull the plug."

Gabriel laughed, "You do not know my family. What you guys call the apocalypse, I used to call Sunday dinner. That's why there's no stopping this, because this isn't about a war. It's about two brothers that loved each other and betrayed each other. You'd think you'd be able to relate." Sam and Dean just looked at each other, "You sorry sons of bitches. Why do you think you two are the vessels? Think about it. Michael, the big brother, loyal to an absent father, and Lucifer, the little brother, rebellious of Daddy's plan. You were born to this, boys. It's your destiny! It was always you! As it is in heaven, so it must be on earth. One brother has to kill the other." He looked at Dean, "Your boys need to do it if you can't man up. You gonna let that happen?"

"What the hell are you saying?"

"Why do you think I've always taken such an interest in you? Because from the moment Dad flipped on the lights around here, we knew it was all gonna end with the Winchesters. Always."

"No. That's not gonna happen. I won't hurt Sam, my boys are not getting dragged into this!"

"I'm sorry. But it is, and they will." The trickster continued, "Guys. I wish this were a TV show. Easy answers, endings wrapped up in a bow...but this is real, and it's gonna end bloody for all of us. That's just how it's gotta be."

"No." Dean shook his head.

"So. Boys. Now what? We stare at each other for the rest of eternity?"

"Well, first of all, you're gonna bring Cas back from wherever you stashed him."

"Oh am I?"

"Yeah. Or we're going to dunk you in some holy oil and deep-fry ourselves an archangel." Gabriel snapped his fingers, and Castiel appeared, "Cas, you okay?"

"I'm fine. Hello, Gabriel."

"Hey, bro. How's the search for Daddy going? Let me guess. Awful." He teased Castiel, who merely glared at him.

"Okay, we're out of here. Come on, Sam." Dean turned to walk away, leaving Gabriel in the holy oil.

"Uh. Okay. Guys?" He called after them. Sam, Dean and Castiel just kept walking. "So, so what? Huh? You're just gonna, you're gonna leave me here forever?"

Dean stopped and turned back, "No. We're not, 'cause we don't screw with people the way you do. And for the record? This isn't about some prize fight between your brothers or some destiny that can't be stopped. This is about you being too afraid to stand up to your family." Dean pulled the fire alarm and sprinklers went off, "Don't say I never did anything for you." Sam, Dean and Castiel walked towards the car, "All that stuff he was spouting in there, you think it was the truth?"

"I think he believes it." Sam answered.

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know."

"Well I'll tell you one thing. Right about now I wish I was back in a TV show." Dean got in the car, "There's no way it's going down like that, not with us, not with the boys."


	24. Chapter 24

24

"Thank God you guys are ok!" Abbie hugged Dean tightly as he walked in the house. "I was so worried. You kept coming up on the TV...and then disappearing...Beth seen-"

"We're back, we're ok." Dean assured her, "Beth seen what?"

"Seen you shot!" Abbie answered, "Lemme see." She grabbed for his shirt, Dean stopped her.

"I'm fine, Abs." He huffed, "Damn angels."

"Angels? I thought it was a trickster." Bobby frowned as Dean and Sam both walked in to the lounge.

"Desserter angel." Sam clarified, "The trickster is Gabriel."

"Gabriel, the archangel?" Abbie asked, "An angel did all that?"

"Hey, don't forget Zachariah making us office folk for a few days." Dean reminded her, "At least this guy leaves you and Beth out of it."

"Yeah, he just lets us watch and be helpless. Great." Abbie sighed.

"O...K." Dean couldn't understand why she was so upset.

"Hormones." Bobby mumbled, "Surprised my TV set survived the past few days."

"Sorry Bobby." Dean answered, "I'll go talk to her."

"Don't open with, 'Bobby says', ok?" Bobby suggested, as Beth made her presence known from upstairs.

"I'll get Beth, you talk to your wife." Sam told Dean, walking upstairs. "Hey Beth."

"Unca Sam!" Beth grinned at him, "Daddy where?"

"Daddy's downstairs with your momma." Sam answered, "Will we go see him?" He lifted Beth, "Think we'll change that stinky diaper first, huh?" Beth nodded at him, still grinning.

"So, what did Gabriel have to say?" Abbie asked Dean, as he joined her in the kitchen, "He got another solution to our situation?" Dean didn't answer, "So, either you and Sam kill each other, or our sons do?"

"There's another way, I gotta believe that."

"What if there's not, Dean?" Abbie shook her head, "What if there's not?"

"We're gonna figure this out, Abbie. We will. I'm not letting this crap get to our kids."

"Beth watched you shot, Dean. I think it's already getting to them." She stood up to walk away, as Sam walked in with Beth.

"Hey." Dean smiled, holding his arms out, she immediately reached over to him. "There's my girl."

"Daddy!" She was ecstatic to see him. "'pala." She pointed to the TV.

"That's right, you saw the Impala on TV, didn't you?" Abbie asked her, she nodded.

"Unca Sam, Unca Cas." Beth continued.

"Yeah, she seen Cas getting thrown about too." Abbie told Dean.

Dean sighed heavily, "Uncle Cas is fine, Beth. It's all make believe on TV." He turned to Abbie, "Sorry you guys had to see any of that, you know I try and make sure you and Beth don't need to see any of that stuff."

"_**You **_do, monsters don't think about upsetting Beth though, do they?"

"Wasn't a monster, was an angel." Dean reminded her.

"Yeah, apart from Cas, are any of them any better than the demons?" Abbie pointed out.

"Not so far." Sam answered, seeing Abbie's point. "At least this guys not on anyone's side."

"Yeah, he just traps you in TV land..." She sighed, sitting down.

"So? Did we miss anything back here?" Sam asked, sitting down too.

"I've been driving Bobby crazy, I'm sure." Abbie laughed, "Nearly launched one of his books at the TV."

"How are the boys?" Dean asked, "Behaving?"

"So far." Abbie answered, "Other than making me want to hurl books at Bobby's TV, and ruining my figure."

Dean had to laugh at that, "And Beth?"

"Like I said, she's been watching you on TV."

"Sorry about that-"

"I know I was angry earlier, but Beth's too young to know what's going on, she just knew she was watching her Daddy and Uncle Sam, didn't you?" Abbie smiled at Beth, "Oh and Uncle Cas."

"Uncle Cas, huh?" Sam laughed.

Dean was about to comment, when his cell phone beeped, "It's Chuck."

"Chuck?" Abbie asked, "What's wrong?"

"He's won a free spa break at some hotel in Ohio and thought we could use it." Dean summarised the text, "You wanna?" He directed his question at Abbie, who nodded, "Sam?"

"Me too?" He asked.

Dean nodded, "Beth as well."

"Ummm, sure I guess." He didn't want to gatecrash. "I can take Beth swimming." Maybe he could make himself useful. "We'll leave tonight?"

"Yeah, get there by morning." Dean nodded.

"Sounds good." Sam agreed.

(Next morning)

"Wow, that's a lot of Impalas." Abbie commented as Dean drove into the parking lot. "A lot of Black...67...Impalas. Are you getting freaked?"

"It's a good car." Dean defended.

"Yeah, but a whole parking lot full of black Impalas?"

"Ok, maybe a little weird." Dean admitted, parking and turning the engine off.

They were all getting out of the car when Becky, Sam's superfan ran up to them, "You came!" She exclaimed, "You are gonna love this."

"This isn't a free spa break, is it?" Sam asked, "Where's Chuck, is he even here?"

"Back in the car, guys." Dean huffed, unamused that the break was fake, he figured a few days relaxing with his family were too good to be true.

"You can't go." Becky told them, "Not until you see inside." Dean scowled at her, "It's nothing dangerous, I swear."

Just then Chuck walked out, "Dean? Sam?" He looked awkward.

"Hell of a free break, Chuck." Dean growled, "This your idea of a joke. Dragging us here? You know I don't get a lot of downtime with the girls."

"I'm sorry, I-" Chuck stammered, "Becky?"

"Ok, you got me. I sent the text, about the free break, I just thought you'd want to see..."

"Lady, we're trying to chase the freaking devil, ok? Lucifer is on our asses, and you thought we'd like to hang out?" Dean was furious.

"But if you just come inside-"

"Dean, we're here now...let's just see what's so important." Abbie reasoned, grabbing Beth's stroller from the trunk and strapping her in.

"Fine." Dean followed her in, "You owe Abbie a spa break." He mumbled to Becky on the way by.

"Becky, what the hell?" Chuck asked her, watching nervously as Dean and the others walked in. "You _**invited **_them?"

"Wow, is Abbie pregnant again? I can see it now, 'Supernatural, the Next Generation'." Becky was rambling.

"Oh boy, do not say that to Dean." Chuck told her, as they walked inside.

"Dean..." Abbie gulped, seeing someone with demon eyes. "I...uh...we should..."

"What the hell is this place?" Dean asked, looking around, then noticed a sign, 'Demon contact lenses, $5.'

"They're not real demons?" Abbie frowned, then remembered back to when they first met Chuck and the LARPing. "Of course, none of this world is real to them."

"I don't understand why anyone would want to look like that yellow eyed freak."

"But Dean, we're gonna be parents, can't you just quit?" A girl who looked slightly like Abbie whined to someone dressed like Dean. "Think about our future."

"Oh god, was I as bad as that?" Abbie asked Dean, "You should've shot me."

"You had your moments." Dean laughed, as a scarecrow walked by him, he automatically fingered his gun.

"Oh no, it's Dean, I better watch out." The scarecrow pretended to be scared as he walked by.

"Yeah, keep walking Chuckles." Dean growled at him.

"Wow, you're good at doing Dean, and you've got an Abbie too, kid's a bit old though, I mean Beth's only 4 weeks old in the books. You got a Sasquatch for Sam too?" Someone asked Dean, impressed by his act.

"Well, I'm sure if you look at when the books were published, you'd know she's like 18 months old now." Abbie retorted, "C'mon guys, let's find Chuck."

"Sounds like a plan." Sam nodded, as they tried to find Chuck.


	25. Chapter 25

Authors Note

Real Life is very hectic at the minute but I am working on this chapter...thanks for your patience and adding the story to your lists...more to come very soon...Sorry for the delays...any reviews on what has been posted so far would be sooooooooooooo muchly appreciated!

Alz


	26. Chapter 26

25

"Chuck, what is this place?" Abbie asked, seeing him in the lobby. "Demon contact lenses? Yellow Eye Coolers? I've just been told that Beth should only be 4 weeks old!"

"Yeah, ummmm, these guys are kinda my fans...well ummm your fans really, I guess. They read Supernatural." Chuck explained, "Look I didn't know Becky..."

"Just one thing, Chuck, are there any real demons here?" Sam asked, looking around, seeing what he thought was demons everywhere.

"No, no. Just fans."

"Man, what I wouldn't give for a big glass of wine right now..." Abbie sighed, noticing a bar.

"Doggy!" Beth grinned, pointing at a stall. "Daddy! Doggy!"

"Dog?" Dean followed Beth's pointing, "Dog."

"Does she want one?" Chuck asked, hoping to make them less mad at him. "Here." He bought one and handed it to Beth.

"You just bought my daughter a stuffed Hellhound?" Dean huffed, "Give it here, Beth."

"No!" Beth hugged it tighter to her, "My!"

"Way to go,Chuck." Dean growled, knowing that Beth was already in love with the toy.

"Sorry, I-"

"It's ok, Chuck, Beth doesn't know what it is." Abbie told him, "So, what goes on at these things?"

"Welcome to the first annual Supernatural convention. Ah.. At 3.45 in the magnolia room, we have the panel 'Frightened little boy, the secret life of Dean'. And at 4.30, there is the 'Homo-erotic subtext of Supernatural'. At 530, we have Abbie, Beth, Jo, Ellen and Jessica – the women of Supernatural. Followed up tomorrow by The Family Winchester – is there hope for a Happily Ever After? Oh! And of course the big hunt starts at 7 p.m sharp!" The Convention manager announced.

"Frightened little boy?" Dean scowled, "Really Chuck?"

"I-I didn't pick the topics." Chuck stuttered, "I mean I-"

"Look, we're here. Let's make the most of it. There's no ghosts, werewolves – well real ones anyway. Thank you for buying the dog for Beth, Chuck. She loves it." Abbie smiled, "I'm going to find the ladies room, Beth needs a change." She walked away with Beth, then turned back. "Why don't you go get a beer at the bar? Chill out. Hey, you could even take part in the big hunt, finally get something from this gig."

"I don't think so." Dean mumbled, "C'mon, Sam. Let's hit the bar, I think we're gonna need it."

"So, isn't this awesome?" Becky asked, finding them in the bar.

"Awesome? You think a bunch of people thinking you're fictional and wanting to be you is awesome?" Dean clearly didn't agree.

"Daddy!" Beth grinned, running towards Dean, Abbie following. "Up!" She held her arms up, for Dean to pick her up. Dean picked her up, and handed her her sippy cup.

"Ooh, time for Chuck's Q and A session." Becky grinned, "You guys coming?"

"Sure." Abbie was curious. "C'mon guys."

"Think I'll hang back here with Beth." Dean sipped his beer.

"C'mon. Aren't you curious?"

"Fine." He huffed, following the others through to the hall, just as Chuck made his grand entrance, Becky and Abbie sat on some seats near the back, while Sam and Dean stood by the door.

"Ok, this is good, not as awkward as I thought. Ummm, ok, questions?" Lots of people put their hands up, Chuck picked one. "Uh you."

"Hey. Mr. Edlund. Big fan. Looky, I was just wondering, how did you come up with Sam and Dean in the first place."

"Good question..." Chuck nodded, glancing at Sam and Dean, who were almost daring him to answer. "It just came to me, I guess." He pointed to someone else.

"So, at the end of the last book, Dean left behind a 4 week old daughter, is there any plan for a Supernatural:the Next Generation? Beth avenging her father?"

"Like hell there'll be one." Dean growled, watching Beth fall asleep, he shook his head at Chuck in a warning.

"Umm, no. There are, ummm, no plans for uhhh a next generation. If you, uh, remember, before he died, Dean warned Sam that Abbie and Beth weren't to hunt after he was gone."

"Good answer." Abbie nodded.

"Right, umm, you. The hook man."

"Uh. Yeah. Why in every fight scene, Sam and Dean are having their gun or knife knocked away by the bad guy? Why don't they keep it on some sort of... bungee?"

"Umm, I really don't know." Chuck answered, looking at Sam and Dean who were clearly contemplating the idea.

"Oh, yeah, also. Why can't Sam and Dean tell that Ruby is evil? She is clearly manipulating Sam." Sam looked away, ashamed, Abbie shook her head, last think they needed was to have that all dragged up.

"Hey." Becky yelled, "If you don't like the books, don't read them Fritz."

"Ok, ok. Next question." He picked someone else.

"Yeah, as we already said, the last book ended with Dean going to Hell." Dean sighed, seeing Abbie's face fall as she was reminded of losing him, and hugged Beth a little closer, kissing her hair, trying not to look at the hellhound she was still clutching in her sleep. "So what happens next."

"Oh, uh, there lies an announcement actually. Your all going to find out, thanks to a wealthy investor. We're going to start publishing again" Chuck said, to rapturous applause.

"He's what?" Abbie asked Dean, "He can't!"

"He won't." Dean assured her, frowning at Chuck.

(At the bar)

"Sam! Hi!" Becky still only had eyes for Sam. The Winchesters however were only interested in Chuck.

"Excuse us but if you haven't noticed, our plates are kind of full. Finding the colt, hunting the devil, we don't need this kind of crap." Dean yelled quietly.

"Dean, calm down." Abbie was worried he would wake Beth who was still asleep in his arms.

"I didn't call.."

"He means the books, Chuck. Why are you publishing more books?" Sam clarified.

"Um. For food and shelter?" Chuck said, saying it like a question.

"Who gave you the right, to our life story?" Dean demanded.

"An archangel, and I didn't want it."

"Well... the deals off, okay? No more publishing books. Our life's are not for public consumption." Sam reminded him angrily.

"Yeah, Chuck. Before you didn't know we were real, now you do and you want to exploit us! Sam's right, deal's off. Have you forgotten that one day our daughter could get a hold of these. I don't want her finding out in graphic detail about how her father died!" Abbie was furious.

"Uh, Becky would you excuse us? For just a second." Chuck asked.

"Sure." Becky walked away.

Chuck was just about to say something when they all heard a scream, they all looked in the direction of the stairs, "Now what?" Dean huffed, "Stay here." He carefully put Beth in her stroller, then ran in the direction of the scream.

"Are you ok?" Sam saw a terrified maid at the top of the stairs.

"I think I saw a ghost!"

"A ghost?" Someone dressed like Sam asked, "Did she say anything?"

"Ok, gather close everyone, for a terrifying tale of terror, I saw a ghost..." The maid began.

"Great, fakes!" Dean walked away frustrated.

"Anything?" Abbie asked when he walked back to her.

"The big ghost hunt." Sam explained. "Let's go once we've finished these." He nodded to their drinks.

"I've had enough craziness for one day." Abbie agreed, "Is there a motel nearby?"

"You don't want to stay here?" Dean teased, only to be met with an unamused look. "O...k."

"Look, I know what I saw!" They could hear someone, "It was a real ghost!"

"These guys are really taking this to heart." Sam commented.

"To the point where they hurt themselves to make it authentic?" Abbie asked, "He's hurt." She pointed out the blood.

"Ok, stay here with Beth, we'll find out what's going on."

"Ok." Abbie nodded, pushing Beth towards a quiet corner.

"Probably just another game." Sam sighed, "But just in case...stay here until Chuck or one of us comes back for you."

"Sure." Why didn't anything ever go to plan with them?


	27. Chapter 27

Sorry this has taken soooooooooooooooo long, please enjoy! Let me know if you guys are still enjoying this

Alz

26

"Hey, calm down, it was probably one of the actors." One of the other guys told him, not taking it serious.

"Who beat the crap outta me and just vanished?"

Sam and Dean walked over to the victim, "You saw something?" Sam asked him.

"This isn't part of the game jerk..." The victim answered.

"Tim. I'm getting outta' here and you should do the same." The victim warned his friend, walking away.

"What do you think?" Sam asked Dean.

"I don't think that guys a good enough actor, to be acting." Dean commented. "Let's ask someone about the history of the hotel." They walked over to the front desk. "Excuse us, do you mind if we ask a few questions?" Dean asked the man at the desk.

"I don't have time to play star wars, guys. Go ask the guy over there." He pointed to the owner, who was giving the same talk to the fake hunters.

"Actually, uh." Dean started, taking money out of his wallet. "We really wanna ask you."

"You guys are really into this." The man laughed, "What do you wanna know?" The guy asked taking the money.

"All the stuff they're saying. The place being haunted by Miss Gore. Any truth to it?" Sam asked.

"We generally don't like to publicise this to um, normal people but um, yeah. 1909 this place was called 'Gore Orphanage'. Miss Gore killed 4 boys with a butcher knife then offed herself."

"And this is really the anniversary?" Dean asked.

"Yeah."

"Huh. There been any sightings?"

"Yeah, over the years. A few maids have quit, saying they have heard the boys or saw them. A janitor even saw Miss Gore once."

"Where did Miss Gore carve up the kids?" Dean asked.

"Look. I don't want you stomping all of the joint. A lot of this place is off limits." The guy explained, as Dean handed him more money, "The attic." He finished.

They walked away from the front desk, Dean found Chuck, "Sam and I are checking out the attic, you stay with Abbie and Beth, k?"

"You're taking part in the game?" Chuck asked, frowning.

"It's not a damn game, Chuck. There's a real ghost on the loose, now look after the girls for me."

"A-a real ghost?"

"Yeah, Chuck." Sam answered. "Real. Abbie and Beth are through in the bar."

"Course, I'll just go and..." Chuck nodded towards the bar and walked through while Sam and Dean headed for the attic.

"EMF's going nuts up here, Dean." Sam told him as they checked out the attic.

"Great. So, we got a real ghost, and a bunch of dudes, pretending to be us, poking at it." Dean sighed.

"No way this ends well." Sam agreed.

"My mommy loves me." A small boy had appeared in front of him.

"I'm sure she does." Dean answered, thinking it was part of the game.

"My mommy loves me this much." Dean and Sam were horrified to see the injuries that the child had suffered to his head.

"We need to find out exactly what happened here." Sam decided as they walked back down from the attic.

"Wouldn't go up there if I were you." Dean told a couple of wannabes who had followed him and Sam. "Freaky."

"Yeah, right." They continued to walk up towards the attic.

"Deserve all they get." Dean mumbled, walking back into the bar, seeing Chuck and Abbie sitting together in a quiet corner, with Becky and a very awake Beth.

"Well?" Abbie asked, seeing him come in.

"Very real ghost alert." Dean sighed, "Looks like we're on a salt and burn. Gonna toast Miss Gore. Sam's just calling the local historical society, find out what exactly happened here, where she's buried."

"That was a guy with the county historical society. Not only did Leticia Gore butcher four boys, but one of them was her own son."

"Her own son?" Dean repeated, horrified. "I'm gonna deep-fry this bitch extra-crispy."

"Too damn right! If I was allowed, I'd help you." Abbie was furious. "Her own son."

"Not only that, but according to the police at the time, she scalped the poor kid."

"Leave me a rock salt shot gun, I'd love to take a shot at the bitch." Abbie growled.

"Believe me, I know how you feel, but I'd much rather you took care of _**our **_boys and stayed safe, ok?" Dean told her, "Did the history guy say where she was buried?"

"He doesn't know." Sam answered.

"Great." Dean mumbled, "Now what?" Dean suddenly took an interest in a fake Sam and Dean. _**Sam **_was showing a map to _**Dean**_. "Stay here with Chuck and Becky, we'll have this fixed in no time." Dean told Abbie, "Chuck, Becky – she's stubborn, watch her."

"Not a freaking kid, Dean." Abbie fumed, as Dean stood up.

"Think that's where Letitia's planted?" _**Dean **_asked.

"It's worth a shot." _**Sam **_ answered.

Dean walked towards them, grabbing for the map. "Hey. Ooh. Hey, hey! Hey, do you mind?" _**Dean **_wasn't willing to give up the map.

"It's real." Dean told Sam.

"Century old at least." Sam agreed. "Cemetery on the grounds."

"Where did you get this?" Dean asked _**Sam **_and _**Dean.**_

"Ummm it's a game." _**Dean **_answered.

"Alright, gimme the map Chuckles." Dean didn't have time for these fakes.

"Chuckles? That's my line, and Dean doesn't listen to nobody." _**Dean **_told him.

Dean reached for his gun, "Dean!" Sam scolded him.

"What? They're freaking annoying!"

"Look, guys, we all want to find these bones, right? I just thought it'd be quicker if we work together." Sam tried to reason with the fakes.

"We'd get the Sizzler gift card?" _**Sam **_asked.

"Fine." Dean answered, itching to get going.

"And we get to be Sam and Dean." _**Dean **_added.

"Fine." Sam answered then looked at a very pissed off Dean.

"Yes." Dean mumbled, "Let's go."

"Ok, so where were we?" _**Sam **_asked _**Dean. **_

"Ellicott had just zapped your brain." _**Dean **_answered.

"Right. Got it_**.**_"He put on his best_** Sam **_voice_**, **_"Why are we even here, Dean?Do you just follow in dad's footsteps like a good, little soldier? Are you that desperate for approval?"

"This isn't you talking, Sam."

"See, that's the difference between you and me. I got a mind of my own. I'm not pathetic."

"So, what are you gonna do, Sam? You gonna kill me?"

"Man, I am so sick of you telling me what to do!"

Sam and Dean watched _**Sam **_and _**Dean **_ having an argument that had happened so long ago, so much had happened since then.

""You know what?" Dean cut in, they turned to look at him, "That's it."

"What's wrong, Bobby?" _**Dean **_asked.

"I'm not Bobby, k? You're not Sam, and you're not Dean." Dean told them angrily, "What is wrong with you? Why would you chose to be these guys?"

"Because we're fans, like you." _**Sam **_ put his normal voice on.

"No." Dean couldn't understand it, "I'm not a fan ok? We-" He pointed to himself and Sam, "Not fans!In fact, I think that the Sam and Dean story sucks. It's not fun. It's not entertaining. It's a river of crap, that would send most people howling to the nut house. So you listen to me, their pain is not for your amusement. You think they enjoy being treated like circus freaks?" Dean yelled.

"Uh, I don't think they care." _**Dean **_answered, "because they're fictional characters."

"Oh they care. Believe me, they care a lot." Dean stormed past them, heading into the cemetery, leaving _**Sam **_and _**Dean **_with Sam.

"He, uh... He takes the story very seriously."Sam explained, following Dean.

"Found the four boys." Dean announced, "And here's Leticia Gore." He started to dig.

"Uh, what are you guys doing?" _**Dean **_asked.

"Generally, bones are in the ground." Dean told him, as he continued to dig.

"Yeah, I know that. I'm just-" _**Dean **_started to talk in his normal voice, "Wait. hold on. Are you guys serious?"

"Deadly."

"We're, we're not really digging up graves, you guys." _**Sam **_ spoke up.

"We're just playing the game, so - trust us." Sam answered, "You want to win the game, right?"

Dean reached the coffin and opened it, "Ooh." The wind started to pick up.

"That's, uh, not a plastic skeleton." _**Dean **_was ready to pass out. "That's a skeleton skeleton. You just dug up a real grave."

"Yeah." Dean failed to see the issue.

"You guys are nuts." _**Sam **_told him.

"I thought you said you guys wanted to be hunters." Dean was feeling smug, clearly these guys would never cut it.

"Hunters aren't real, man." _**Dean **_scoffed, "This isn't real."

"Oh, my god." _**Sam **_noticed the ghost first.

_**Dean **_hadn't noticed due to the fact he was walking away, "You guys have just seriously lost your grip on this – what?"

"Naughty!" The ghost shouted, as she attacked Sam, knocking him to the ground.

"Real enough for you?" Dean asked, as the ghost moved towards the fans, "Burn bitch." He lit the bones, causing the ghost to disappear.

(Back at the bar)

"All done?" Abbie asked, seeing them return.

"Daddy!" Beth held her arms out to him, yawning.

"Yup, she's toast." Dean sat down beside her. "Uhh, this is _**Sam **_and _**Dean**_." The fakes joined them at the table. "Guys, this is my wife Abbie, daughter Beth. Crazy coincidence, huh?" He joked, covering up who they were.

"Name's Barnes." _**Sam **_corrected, "This is Demian."

"They helped us find the bones." Sam explained. "Beer?"

"Yeah, that'd be great." Barnes answered.

"Couple of beers then we'll get to a motel, get our girl into a proper bed." Dean reached across and took Beth from Abbie.

"You're supposed to be asleep, munchkin." Sam told her, ruffling her hair, and standing up to get beers.

"She been ok?" Dean asked Abbie.

"Yeah, just staying awake to see Daddy and Uncle Sam." Abbie smiled, as Beth yawned again, and snuggled closer to Dean.

"So, what happened?"

"It was awful..." Barnes started, "We had to dig up real bones!"

"Real bones?" Abbie frowned, playing along. "Eugh. You went digging up real dead bodies?"

"And then, we saw the ghost – and it went for us, but we burned it up."

"Just followed what always happens in the books." Dean told Abbie, trying not to laugh, "Did you know that stuff actually works?"

"Wow. Really?" She asked, playing along. "Hey, Beth, Daddy's a hero."

They drank a few more beers, "We really should get going, it's late, and we need to find a motel." Dean stood up, holding a sleeping Beth. "It was nice meeting you guys."

"Yeah, you too." Demian smiled at him.

"Guys, you're leaving?" Chuck asked, seeing them stand up to go.

"Drop dead Chuck." Dean growled.

"Well, not drop dead, but please don't publish any more." Abbie suggested, walking towards the door.

Sam had walked on ahead, "That's weird." The door wouldn't open.

"Definitely." Dean handed Beth to Abbie, while he and Sam tried the door again. "Definitely not opening."

"I'll check the other exits." Sam offered, walking away, returning a few minutes later. "Every exits closed."

"Something's keeping us in?" Abbie asked, "Seriously?"

"This isn't good." Sam decided.

"Gee, you think Sammy?"

"Let me guess, back to the bar, stick with Chuck?" Abbie sighed, settling Beth into her stroller to sleep.

"Sorry, but yeah." Dean pushed Beth back through to the bar. "Chuck, a word?"

"A-a word?" Chuck stuttered. "Sure."

"The ghost problem, is still, well, a problem. All the exits are locked-"

"Can't you get keys from management?"

"Not that kinda locked, Chuck. We need you to get everyone into the main hall, get the door salted, and keep them safe." Dean instructed him. "Least you can do, Chuck. Keep Abbie and Beth with you.I'll be back once we have this all sorted."

"Everyone." Chuck called standing up, "Special off schedule Q and A in the main hall, now!"

"Spoilers about the new Supernatural books!" Abbie added, getting a lot of interested looks. "Main hall, now!"

"K, Chuck, take Beth up to the stage with you, I'll salt the doors, k?" Abbie told him.

"This, this is really happening, isn't it?" Chuck asked.

"You wanted a ghost hunt, you got one." Abbie answered, leading the way into the hall.


	28. Chapter 28

27

"OK, so I'm going to take more ummm questions." Chuck started, after parking Beth in her stroller at the side of the stage while Abbie salted the doors, trying not to be noticed.

"Umm, why are you doing that?" A fake Abbie asked. "You think there's a real ghost?" She laughed.

"Precaution, that's all."

"You think that crap's real? Come on! I know we're fans and stuff, but hello...reality check. Salting the doors..."

"Reality check?" Abbie raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, I mean come on, you take this way too seriously, I mean, you even called your kid after the one in the book. Pathetic. And a _**haunted**_," She made quote marks with her fingers, "hotel, isn't really the place for a kid."

"Well, maybe I didn't have a choice about bringing her..."

"Even the character in the book wouldn't take Beth with her on hunts, Dean made her quit."

"How do you know? Maybe you should ask Chuck, I mean, Carver, about that? Surely he's already written it."

"It'd be stupid for her to drag Beth along, I mean, Dean would be furious, given the way he told Sam to look out for them, how he grew up with his dad, given how crap that turned out, he'd be turning in his grave."

"Clearly you know everything." Abbie smirked and walked away towards Chuck. "Door's all salted. Shame we need to keep _**everyone**_ safe." She glared at the fake Abbie, now sitting beside the Hookman.

"Ummm, why?" Chuck asked, noting the glare.

"Because, I'm not good at LARPing, and it'd be _**stupid**_ of me to bring Beth along to something like this, even if it is _**fake**_." She explained, sitting at the side of the stage, checking Beth was still sleeping, "Maybe you could explain to your, sorry, _**our **_fans, that sometimes we have no choice, hell I came here for a break, not a freaking hunt."

"OK, I'm sure that'll be covered in the Q and A." Chuck answered, noting fake Abbie waiting desperately to ask her question.

(Outside the main hall)

"Argh!" Dean and Sam heard a scream from upstairs and ran to find the fake Miss Gore, running out of a room. "Don't go in there."

"Get downstairs, ok?" Sam told her.

"Go, go!" Dean told her when she hesitated, "Everyone's in the main hall." Dean ran into the room to be confronted by the ghost of Leticia's son, still wearing his gory wound from his murder.

"Why'd you do that?" He asked Dean, "Why did you send my mommy away?"

Dean was stunned, "Maybe because of the high-and-tight she gave you." He answered. "How about some thanks?" Sam glared at him, "Well, I'm just saying, a little gratitude might be nice once in a while."

"My mommy didn't do this to me." The boy explained.

"What? Well, who did?" Dean asked, confused.

Meanwhile, Fritz, AKA The Hookman, was coming face to face with his own ghosts. The three children from earlier, "How original, Supernatural and more creepy children." He commented, not realising that they were real.

"Miss Gore wouldn't let us have any fun." One of the boys told him.

"You don't even look like real ghosts." Fritz turned away, unimpressed.

"But Miss gore's gone, and now we can have all kinds of fun." They ran towards him, killing him.

(Back in the hall)

"So, where did you get the idea to write in the character of Abbie? Surely having a wife and kid goes against everything Dean is. I mean, he's a ladies man, and to be shackled just seems not him. And to give his kid, the same upbringing he had, it doesn't make sense." Fake Abbie looked at Abbie, who was quietly fuming.

"Ummm, well, Abbie is based on my, uhhh, sister, Amy." He nodded to Abbie, "She helps with the creative process, gives me the female perspective on a lot of things."

"In fact, Chuck, could I perhaps answer on some of these points." Abbie stood up.

"Sure." Chuck nodded, glad to be off the hoook, but nervous about what Abbie could say.

"Dean may have been a ladies man, in the past, maybe Chuck felt it was time to develop the character more, have him settle, have what he always wanted but didn't think he could have." Abbie started, "As for Beth, well, we all see what Dean was like with Sam, who wouldn't want to see that protectiveness and parenting is use on his own child, let's face it, he'd rock at that."

"Yeah, but he's in hell. No doing much parenting from there, is he?" Fake Abbie pointed out.

"Well, didn't you hear Chuck has more written, can you imagine Supernatural without Dean?" Abbie teased, "Maybe you should reserve judgement on Dean and his family until you see how they go with Beth." Abbie paused, "As for Dean giving Beth the same upbringing, when the last book ended, Abbie and Beth were living at Bobby's, permanently. A far cry from the motel after motel, short lease apartment after apartment and downright fatherly neglect that defined Dean's and for that matter, Sam's upbringing. Beth has a home, and a family, and will never learn about killing monsters." Abbie opened her mouth to continue. Chuck held his hand up.

"O...k. I think you covered everything."

"Barely..." Abbie sighed, moving to sit down beside looked up nervously as the Leticia actress walked in, clearly spooked, Abbie saw her too and walked up towards her, "Hey, you ok?"

"It's-it's-" She began to raise her voice, Abbie wrapped an arm around her shoulder and led her to the side of the stage where Beth was.

"I know, I know. Believe me, I understand. But we can't let everyone in here know, 'cause then they'd try and fix it and make it worse, ok?"

"But-"

"Are the guys up there?"

"Guys? You mean the tall guy and the blonde one."

"Yeah, that's them." Abbie nodded.

"Yeah, they sent me down there. I thought this was all fake. Oh my God, they're gonna make the ghost mad!"

"No, they're not, out of all the guys you want to be out there, they're top of the list, they know what they're doing, ok?" The actresss nodded, "Now, can you stay here, make sure that she stays sleeping? I need to see the guys and make sure the salt line is still ok."

"But it's real, you can't-"

"I know what I'm doing, ok? Chuck? I gotta check on the guys, back in a few."

"But, Dean said-"

"It'll be fine, I'm just getting an update." She walked towards the door, only to be met by Sam coming in. "We good to go?"

"Not even close." Sam sighed, "We messed up when we burned Leticia, she didn't kill her son, the other boys did, Letitia's been the only one keeping them under any sort of control, but since we, you know..."

"They're out and they're pissed, and you burnt your only control?" Abbie asked, "Wow, way to mess up. Dean's up there still?"

"Yeah, which is why we need you." Sam turned to the actress.

"Me?" The Leticia actress asked.

"Dean wants you to pretend to be her, get the little monsters under control."

"No way."

"Look, one of us will be there with you, you'll be safe, I promise." Sam told her, "Please."

"You want me to do what? No!"

"They've already killed one guest, you'd be saving lives."

"Killed one?" Abbie asked.

"Yeah, the Hookman." Sam confirmed.

"I'm not doing it." The actress told him, "I work at Hooters in Toledo, I'm not that serious!"

Demian and Barnes had seen Sam coming back in and had joined them, "We want to help."

"Guys, no." Sam told them, "This isn't make believe."

"We know, we're not nuts, in fact we're freaking terrified, but if all these people are in trouble, we gotta do something, right?" Demian continued, "That's what Sam and Dean would do."

"What can I do?" Abbie asked.

"Stay here with Mr Edlund, make sure the little one's ok." Demian answered, while Abbie frowned at him, "You're pregnant and shouldn't be chasing little blood thirsty brats."

"Hate to say it, but you know that's what he'd say." Sam told Abbie, "You and Beth are better off in here."

(Upstairs)

The actress walked into the room to where Dean was waiting for the ghosts to show, while Sam, Demian and Barnes waited downstairs for the doors to open while the boys were distracted by the fake Miss Gore.

"I-I really don't want to do this, maybe that other girl should-"

"No, you're gonna be fine, I'm right here, ok? I'm right here with you." Dean told her, "Ok, curtain up."

"Boys, boys! Come here this instant! Come here when I call you."

"Miss Gore?" The boys appeared in front of them.

"You have been very naughty." She told them, "Open these doors right now!"

Downstairs Demian and Barnes pushed the door open and went in search of the bones of the children, the door slammed closed before Sam could get out.

The actress was about to continue scolding the boys as music started to play. "Dammit." She cursed, it was her cellphone, and the boys knew she was a fake.

Hearing the front door open and close, Abbie ran out, while Chuck kept his audience busy.

"Sam, did it work?"

"I don't think so." He answered, "We're still locked in. Tell Chuck he's gonna need to keep those guys in there longer."

"Longer? How long?" Abbie asked.

"However long it takes." Sam told her, "Get back in there behind the salt line. I need to go help Dean."

Abbie walked back in, "Chuck?" She called him to the side of the stage. "Doors are still locked, we need to keep this going."

"Keep it going, if I answer much more, there won't be any need to buy the books, they'll all know what's happened."

"Either that or let them face ghosts."

"O...k, so we have _**lots**_ more time for questions." Chuck nervously told the audience.

"Yeah, umm, is there anything between Abbie and Sam? I mean, they're both devastated, are they going to turn to each other?"

"Good question." Chuck glanced at Abbie who was busying herself checking on Beth. "Ummm, I don't know, I mean, uhhhh..." He rubbed at his neck, "I hadn't really considered, ummm, good point, maybe...I don't...uhhh..know."

At that point, the actress ran back into the room, and towards Abbie. "It didn't work!"

"Dammit, stay with Beth. Chuck, check the salt line!"

"Hey, wait!" Chuck ran after Abbie, stopping at the door as she ran out and upstairs. "Dean's gonna kill me." He muttered, fixing the salt line.

"Play time's over boys." Abbie appeared in the room, armed with a rock salt shot gun, but didn't get a chance to use it as it was grabbed from her by one of the ghosts. She found herself cornered by one ghost, seeing Sam and Dean in a similar situation.

"Goddammit Abs!" Dean exclaimed, "You're supposed to be downstairs."

"And you're supposed to be keeping them in check!"

"We're so screwed."

"Look, Demian and Barnes are out doing what we should be."

"You trust them, they nearly threw up doing Miss Gore, you think they'll handle three?" Dean raved.

"They don't have a choice, do they?" Sam mumbled, as the ghosts began to advance on all three of them.

At the graveyard, Demian was struggling to light his lighter to torch the bones, "Dean _**always**_ gets this thing first time!" He was frustrated with himself, finally he lit it and dropped it in, just as the boys pulled out their knives to kill the three hunters.

"They did it." Dean grinned, "They freaking did it!"

"Thank God." Abbie put her hand to her head where one of the ghosts had succeeded in cutting her.

Dean helped her up, "I don't think you need stitches. Of course you wouldn't need anything if you'd stayed downstairs."

"Oh my God, Beth!" Abbie ran out of the room and headed downstairs to see Chuck cradling a sleeepy Beth.

"Someone's stealing my lime light." He told Abbie, as she took her from him, he seen her injury, "Oh my- are you ok?"

"Fine, Chuck. All bones salted and burned, everyone's good to go."

Dean walked in, relieved to see Beth ok and back with Abbie, he took Beth and let Abbie wheel the stroller out. They were just packing the trunk when Demian and Barnes walked up to them. "We owe you guys, you really saved our bacon." Dean told them, "Thank you."

"You're wrong, you know?" Demian told him. "About the stories, you just don't get it."

"I don't?"

"In real life, I sell stereo equipment, he fixes copiers. But man, to save people, everyday, to have a brother who would die for you, I mean who wouldn't want that. Supernatural changed our lives, brought us together." Demian smiled at Barnes, "And ok, maybe we aren't like Sam and Dean, really, I mean, I'm not looking for an Abbie, we'll probably never have a Beth..."

"You guys do good enough." Dean told him. "Thank you, again."

"No problem." Demian and Barnes walked away, while Sam was caught up being ditched by Becky for Chuck. He got into the car once Beth was strapped in and Abbie was settled beside her, holding some tissue to her head to stop the bleeding.

"So, umm, interesting chat with Becky..."

"Oh yeah, she can string a sentence together around you?" Abbie asked, with a smirk.

"I just got us a lead on the colt."

"The colt?" Dean repeated. "Let's get to a motel, get Beth settled, then you can tell us all about it." Dean started the engine and headed for the motel.


	29. Chapter 29

28

"So, the Colt?" Dean asked as they sat at the table in the motel room. "Becky knows where it is? How the hell does she know?"

"Anyone who's read the books knows where it is."

"We could have known where it is this whole time if we'd just read the damn books?"Abbie realised.

"You know what this means, right?" Sam smiled, "We get the Colt, we kill Lucifer, no one has to say yes and the boys won't get involved."

"It's that easy? Really?" Abbie looked at Dean to see what he thought.

"It's gotta be worth a shot." Dean nodded, "It'll save Beth, the boys won't have to be separated."

"So, reveal all Sam, where is the elusive Colt?"

"Bela took it, remember?"

"Hard to forget that thieving bitch." Dean muttered, "But yes, I remember."

"And we assumed she'd given it to Lilith." Abbie finished.

"Yeah, Cas told me that demons had it, but he wasn't more specific than that." Dean remembered the conversation just before Zachariah had zapped him to 2014.

"I got more specifics, she gave the Colt to Lilith's right hand man, the new Crossroads demon, trying to save her own ass I bet."

"And his name is?" Dean was getting impatient.

"Crowley."

"So, how do we find him?"

"I got an idea." Sam told them, detailing how he planned to retrieve the Colt.

(2 weeks later)

Abbie was sitting with Beth and the guys, enjoying a quiet couple of days when Dean's cell rang, "Hey Cas. Going down? Right. Okay, Huggy Bear, just don't lose him." He hung up, "Cas found Crowley, he's following him as we speak."

"Good, fingers crossed we can get the Colt back and end this." Abbie smiled, "Uncle Cas did good, Beth."

Dean's cell began to ring, "It's Cas again." He frowned.

"I followed him. It's not far, but—it's layered in Enochian warding magic. I can't get in." Cas informed Dean.

"Ok, we'll take it from here, you did good." Dean told him, "Just need the address."

Castiel took note of the address and returned to Bobby's. "So, we need a plan on how to get in there." Abbie summed up the next hurdle.

"I might have an idea." Dean looked thoughtful, "No one can resist a damsel in distress."

"Damsel in distress?" Abbie repeated, "You want me to just walk into a demon's house?"

"Not you, I'm thinking time to call in reinforcements." Dean answered, grabbing his cell and dialling a number, "Ellen? It's Dean. How'd you and Jo fancy helping us stick it to Lucifer?" Dean grinned, "Good, good. Just head to Bobby's and we'll fill you in."

"Reinforcements." Sam nodded, "Let's face it, we need all the help we can get."

(2 nights later)

"So you get them to open the gate, we'll handle the rest." Dean explained to Jo, as they drove to Crowley's.

Jo got to the intercom on the gate, and pressed a button, Crowley answered, "Hello?"

"Hello. My car broke down. I—I need some help."

"I'll be down in a minute."

The gate swung open, and two men approached Jo, "Evening, pretty lady. Get yourself on in here."

"I just need to make a call." Jo told them, acting nervous.

"You don't need to call anyone, baby. We're the only help you're ever gonna need."

"You know what? I think I should wait by my car." Jo turned to leave but was grabbed back by one of the men, who now had demon black eyes.

"We said, get your ass in here." Jo fought herself free and punched him, while the other man was stabbed through the neck with Ruby's knife by Sam, who then killed the man who had grabbed Jo.

"Nice work, Jo." Dean nodded, as they headed towards the main house, Jo pulled some wire cutters out of the bag Dean handed her.

"Okay. Shall we?"

Crowley, annoyed at the loss of electricity thanks to Jo's cutting, walked out of the room, only to be met by the three hunters.

"It's Crowley, right?" Sam asked him.

"So. The Hardy Boys finally found me. Took you long enough." He noted that his rug was crumpled, and underneath it, a devil's trap had been drawn, trapping him. "Do you have any idea how much this rug cost?" He asked Sam and Dean as two demons grabbed them from behind, disarming them. Crowley produced the Colt from his jacket, "This is it, right? This is what it's all about." He aimed the gun at Dean, but instead shot the two men holding them. "We need to talk. Privately." He led them into another room.

"What the hell is this?" Dean asked him, thoroughly confused by Crowley killing his own guards.

"Do you know how deep I could have buried this thing? There's no reason you or anyone should know this even exists, except that I told you."

"You told us?" Sam asked, no information had come from Crowley so far.

"Rumors, innuendo, sent out on the grapevine." Crowley explained.

"Why? Why tell us anything?" This didn't make any sense to Sam.

"I want you to take this thing to Lucifer and empty it into his face." Crowley answered.

"Uh-huh, okay, and why exactly would you want the devil dead?"

"It's called survival." Dean and Sam stood speechless, not understanding. "Well, I forgot you two at best are functioning morons. Lucifer isn't a demon, remember? He's an angel. An angel famous for his hatred of humankind. To him, you're just filthy bags of pus. If that's the way he feels about you, what can he think about us?"

"But he created you." Sam argued.

"To him, we're just servants. Cannon fodder. If Lucifer manages to exterminate humankind, we're next. So, help me, huh? Let's all go back to simpler, better times, back to when we could all follow our natures. I'm in sales, dammit! So what do you say if I give you this thing, and you go kill the devil?" He held the Colt out, Sam took it.

"You wouldn't happen to know where the devil is, by chance, would you?"

"Thursday, birdies tell me, there's an appointment in Carthage, Missouri." Crowley told him.

"Oh, uh, excuse me for asking, but aren't you kind of signing your own death warrant? I mean, what happens to you if we go up against the devil and lose?" Dean asked, still unsure of Crowley's intentions.

"Number one, he's going to wipe us all out anyway. Two, after you leave here, I go on an extended vacation to all points nowhere. And three, how about you don't miss, okay! Morons!" Crowley disappeared, leaving Sam and Dean with the Colt and a location for Lucifer.

(Bobby's – Wednesday night) 

"So, tomorrow, you go toe to toe with Lucifer?" Abbie asked Dean, as they sat feeding Beth her dinner. "Do you really need to, Dean?"

"You know what happens if I don't, Abs." Dean sighed.

"Why can't this Crowley guy go and empty the Colt into his face?"

"We let him out, we need to stick his ass back in it's cage." Dean explained, "I don't wanna do this, I'd much rather be here, with you and Beth, doing the whole happily ever after thing, believe me, but this is our mess and we need to clean it up."

Sam sat watching, "Talking about messes, how about I give Beth her bath tonight?"

"It's ok, Sam. I got it." Abbie replied. "Why don't you guys crack open a couple of beers? Looks like Ellen and Cas already started." She nodded to the lounge where Ellen was downing whisky shots along with Castiel. "C'mon, Beth."

"You want a hand?" Jo asked, noting Abbie carrying Beth away.

"No, best if she just soaks one of us." Abbie laughed, while Beth waved goodbye to everyone in the room.

Castiel downed five shots. "I think I'm starting to feel something." Castiel admitted, much to Jo's amusement.

"Abbie ok?" Ellen asked, watching as Dean stared sadly at the door she had just left through.

"Yeah, just worried." He answered, "She'll be fine. Anyway, you wanted to talk about tomorrow?" He turned to Sam.

"Yeah, It's gotta be a trap, right?"

"Sam Winchester, having trust issues with a demon. Well, better late than never." Dean smirked.

"Thank you again for your continued support."

"You're welcome." Dean laughed, they clinked bottles and drank, "You know, trap or no trap, we got a snowball's chance, we gotta take it, right?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Sam conceded, not looking forward to the faceoff.

"Besides, I'm not sure it is a trap. Check it out. I mean, Carthage is lit up like a Christmas tree with Revelation omens. And look at this." He pushed some newspapers towards Sam, "There's been six missing persons reported, in town, since Sunday. I think the devil's there."

"Okay." Sam nodded in agreement.

"Look, when you think about it...you can't come with." Dean started, Sam rolled his eyes, "  
Look, I go against Satan and screw the pooch, okay. We've lost a game piece. That we can take. But if you're there, then we are handing the devil's vessel right over to him. That's not smart."

"Since when have we ever done anything smart? And I'm not watching Abbie and Beth lose you again."

"I'm serious, Sam."

"So am I. Haven't we learned a damn thing? If we're gonna do this, we're gonna do it together."

"Okay. But it's a stupid frigging idea." Dean sighed, "I'm gonna see how bath time's going. Help Abbie put Beth to bed."

"Don't put Bug to bed just yet." Bobby told him, "Bring her back down for a bit."

"Might be the last chance you have to see her, Abbie and Bobby." Castiel told them all, "You should spend as much time together as you can."

"K, I'll not tell Abbie that." Dean mumbled, walking out, returning a few minutes later with a sleepy Beth and quiet Abbie.

"It's time for the lineup. Usual suspects in the corner." Bobby announced fiddling with his camera and tripod, and everyone stood together. Dean holding Beth, other arm around Abbie.

"I'm gonna need something to remember your sorry asses by." Bobby explained, then smiled sadly, as he noticed Abbie's face fall.

"Ha! Always good to have an optimist around." Ellen tried to lighten the mood.

"Bobby's right. Tomorrow we hunt the devil. This is our last night on earth." Castiel noted, making everyone, except Beth's, smile disappear.


End file.
